William Herschel discovered NGC 2304 = H VI-2 = h415 on 30 Dec 1783 (early sweep 68) and recorded "a cluster of extremely small stars, very much compressed, 5 or 6' diameter. The stars of the cluster are of unequal sizes but chiefly of two sorts, vS and eS. I viewed them with a power of 500 and found them very numerous and compressed. The cluster is of an irregular oval or almost round form." Auwer's reduction is 40 sec of RA east of the cluster. On 18 Dec 1830 (sweep 313), John Herschel noted a "pretty rich cl; acutangular, the acute angle precedes; the p side is bounded by a remarkably definite line..."

300/350mm - 13.1" (12/22/84): ~20 faint stars, unresolved haze, rich, elongated WSW-ENE in a thin wedge.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb