Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 326 on 24 Aug 1865 with the 11" refractor at Copenhagen. His position (measured on 2 nights) matches UGC 601 = PGC 3482 and he accurately measured the mag 9-10 star that follows by 15.5 seconds of time and 26" south. MCG misidentifies +04-03-024 (a much fainter galaxy to the NW) as NGC 326, instead of +04-03-025. NGC 326 has a double nucleus and appears to be a close pair of merged compacts in a common halo.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/20/90): faint, small, round, weak concentration. A mag 13 star is 1.2' W. Situated at the center of an isosceles triangle consisting mag 7.2 SAO 74405 5' SSE, mag 8.5 SAO 74400 5' NW (nice close double star) and mag 9 74409 3.6' E.

600/800mm - 24" (12/6/18): NGC 326 is a merged double system with twin nuclei separated by only 8". At 375; fairly faint, fairly small, round, slightly brighter core. Increasing to 500x, the nucleus was precisely collinear with a mag 13.0 star 1.2' W and a mag 13.7 star 2.5' W. This corresponds with the northern of the dual nuclei. Occasionally the second nuclei (10" SE) seemed to sharpen as a faint quasi-stellar spot within the halo. Located 5' NNW of mag 7.3 HD 5650 and 3.6' W of a mag 9 star. STF 77, a 10" pair of mag 10.4/10.5 stars, is 5' NW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb