John Herschel discovered NGC 324 = h2364 on 23 Oct 1835 and recorded "F, S, Stellar, the bad definition of a south-easter prevents certainty, but I think it is not a star." There is nothing at his position, but exactly 30' S is ESO 295-G25 = PGC 3416, a galaxy that fits Herschel's description, assuming he noticed only the central region. ESO, MCG and RC3 correctly identify this galaxy as NGC 324 but RNGC misidentifies IC 1609 as NGC 324, and as a further complication gives incorrect coordinates for IC 1609. Nothing exists at the RNGC position on the POSS, but the photographic description clearly applies to IC 1609.

600/800mm - 25" (10/15/17 - OzSky): at 397x; moderately bright and large, elongated at least 3:1 E-W, ~1.0'x0.3'. Strongly concentrated with a bright core and much fainter extensions that were initially missed. Resides in a sparsely populated field with a mag 12 star 5' WNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb