George Johnstone Stoney discovered NGC 2291 on 22 Feb 1849 using Lord Rosse's 72", noting "5 neb. in one field [with NGC 2288, 2289, 2290 and 2294]. It was labeled Delta on the field sketch. Dreyer assumed this nebula was JH's h409 (described as "eF; the northern of two, 3 or 4' apart") and possibly WH's III-897, but the Herschel designations more likely apply to NGC 2289. The positions of all 5 galaxies (computed by Dreyer and repeated in the GC and NGC) are offset 4' too far south and 8-9 seconds of time too far west. Hermann Kobold measured accurate positions in 1898 at Strasbourg.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/19/87): very faint, small, slightly elongated, even surface brightness. Fourth of five in a group. On a line with NGC 2288 4.0' SSW and NGC 2289 3.0' SSW. NGC 2294 lies 2.6' ENE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb