John Herschel discovered NGC 2612 = h3128 on 14 Feb 1836 and recorded "B, S, psbM, E, between two stars." His position and description matches MCG -02-22-020 = PGC 24028. Engelhardt measured a precise micrometric position. Joseph Turner sketched this galaxy in Jan 1877 with the Great Melbourne Telescope (p129 of his logbook). Herbert Howe, observing with the 20" refractor at the Chamberlin Observatory in Denver, noted "not bright but faint".

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/1/92): moderately bright, fairly small, very elongated 3:1 NW-SE, small bright core, almost stellar nucleus. A mag 13 star is 30" N of center and a mag 12 star is 1.2' S. Appears to have a sharper light cutoff on the north side.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb