William Herschel discovered NGC 2414 = H VIII-37 = h455 on 4 Feb 1785 (sweep 366) and recorded "A small cluster of scattered stars of various sizes, not very rich." John Herschel noted on 16 Dec 1827 (sweep 111) "a cl with 1 st 9m; not rich." and measured an accurate position.

300/350mm - 13.1" (1/11/86): about 20 faint stars surrounding mag 8.2 SAO 153056 with some unresolved background haze. The cluster members are arranged in two curving lanes with a mag 8.2 star at the center, elongated ~E-W. Pretty view at high power.

400/500mm - 18" (3/2/08): very pretty cluster with ~40 stars mag 12-14 resolved in a 4'x3' group using the 13mm Ethos (175x). A mag 8.2 star (HD 60308) is superimposed at the center and sprays of stars to the NW, north and east appear to radiate outward from the bright star. A half a dozen brighter mag 10-10.5 stars form an 8' incomplete ring that partially encompasses the cluster (open to the east).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb