John Herschel discovered NGC 3056 = h3203 on 30 Mar 1835 and recorded "pB; S; R; vsmbM; has a * 10m almost contiguous; pos from neb = 203.8°. His position and description matches ESO 435-007, though the position angle of the bright star is off by 180°.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/28/87): fairly faint, very small, bright core, very slightly elongated halo N-S. A mag 12.5 star is off the NE end.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb