Lewis Swift discovered NGC 240 = Sw. V-9 on 22 Oct 1886 with the 16" refractor at Warner Observatory and recorded "vF; S; R; * nr south". His position is 9 sec of RA east of UGC 473 and his "* nr south" is probably the mag 13.6 star 1.2' SE.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/8/88): faint, small, oval 4:3 ~E-W, small bright core. A mag 14 star is 1.2' SSE of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb