Bindon Stoney or his brother George Johnstone Stoney discovered NGC 2317 on 20 Feb 1851. NGC 2316 was described as a "S close D neb, below 3 st, 2 stellar points (or nuclei)." The nebula was sketched on 23 Nov 1851 and included in Lord Rosse's 1861 publication. The RA was only roughly given in the GC and the NGC (nearest min of RA). The RNGC misclassifies this number as nonexistent although NGC 2317 is part of NGC 2316. Pietro Baracchi also sketched it as a double star in nebulosity on 16 Mar 1885 with the 48" Melbourne telescope. Hermann Kobold measured accurate positions for both "nuclei" in 1895 (published in his 1907 catalogue).

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/25/84): moderately bright nebulosity, small, surrounding the northeast of two stars (separation ~11"). An obtuse triangle of mag 12 stars is just 1' S. Enhanced with a Deep Sky filter.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb