William Herschel discovered NGC 2552 = H III-711 on 9 Mar 1788 (sweep 815) and logged "eF, E from sp to nf, about 3.5' long, 2.5' broad." His position (Auwers' reduction) is 2.4' NW of UGC 4325 = PGC 23340.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/23/85): faint, moderately large, elongated. A mag 11 star is off the NE side 3.1' from the center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb