William Herschel discovered NGC 2627 = H VII-63 = h516 = h3132 on 3 Mar 1793 (sweep 1032) and described "a large cluster of scattered small stars, irr F, considerably rich." John Herschel observed the cluster from both England and the Cape of Good Hope, where he recorded "a fine, L, rich, pretty much compressed cluster; irregularly E, 10' l, 7' br; stars 12 and 13th mag nearly equal."

300/350mm - 13.1" (1/18/85): about 45 stars mag 11-14 in a 10' region elongated E-W. This is a rich and pretty cluster set over an unresolved background haze. Located 40' SW of a mag 5 star. Visible in a 16x80 finder.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb