John Herschel discovered NGC 2446 = h465 on 10 Feb 1831 (sweep 324) and recorded "four small stars in a semicircle, within whose concavity there is a F nebulosity, which I am pretty sure is real." His position and description matches UGC 4027. R.J. Mitchell, observing with Lord Rosse's 72" on 11 Jan 1856 logged "pF, lE?, bM." His sketch show the 3 nearby brighter stars.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/8/91): faint, fairly small, slightly elongated NW-SE. Unusual appearance as cradled by several stars including a mag 12 star at the west end, two mag 13 stars at the east end and close NW and a mag 15 star is superimposed.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb