John Herschel discovered NGC 2606 = h510 on 16 Feb 1831 (sweep 327) and recorded "vF; S; R; 12." The following and brighter of 2." His mean position (two sweeps) matches CGCG 263-059. This galaxy was labeled Delta on the field sketch made by R.J. Mitchell with the 72" on 11 Mar 1858. MCG mislabels MCG +09-14-072 as NGC 2603, instead of NGC 2606 and PGC labels this galaxy as NGC 2603 = NGC 2606. PGC 2423840, located 2' west, was observed by Sir Robert Ball at Birr Castle on 5 Mar 1867, but did not receive a NGC designation.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/12/94): faint, small, elongated 2:1 E-W, very small brighter core with a low surface brightness halo. Located 3.9' SE of a mag 10.5 star. A small group of stars forming a square with a fifth star near the center lies about 6' NNE. Forms a pair with NGC 2602 5.2' NW. This galaxy is identified as NGC 2603 in the MCG and DSFG to the Uranometria.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb