William Herschel discovered NGC 266 = H III-153 = h65 on 12 Sep 1784 (sweep 268) and noted "vF, pL, lE, r, very little brighter towards the following side." JH observed this 4 times and at Birr Castle 5 times with the 72-inch. On 18 Sep 1857 it was described as "S, pB disc, in vF haze of mottled nebulosity, which seems brightest in a line p and f." E.E. Barnard found it in Feb 1889 while sweeping with the 12-inch refractor at Lick Observatory and noted it as "R, 1' +/- or less, bM to faint nucleus of 13m."

400/500mm - 17.5" (11/25/87): fairly bright, moderately large, elongated ~E-W, bright core, stellar nucleus. Located on the Andromeda border 4' N of mag 8.2 SAO 54174.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb