William Herschel discovered NGC 2916 = H II-260 = h610 on 16 Nov 1784 (sweep 318) and recorded "F, pS, lE." George Stoney, using the 72" on 9 Mar 1850, logged "D Nucl or D * in it, light unequal, another * susp. preceding the brighter of the D one." His description matches a (single) star superimposed just north of the nucleus.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/31/87): fairly bright, moderately large, bright core, elongated SSW-NNE. A mag 12.5 star is 1.7' SSW of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb