John Herschel discovered NGC 3446 = h3301 on 15 Mar 1836 and recorded "The chief * (9m) of a cluster class VIII, 7' dia, not rich or comp. Stars 10...13."

Brian Skiff gives a position of 10 52 07 -45 08.3 centered on CoD-44 6866 (mv 9.0) and suggests a diameter of 15' if a few bright stars to the west are included, though Herschel's "chief *" is part of a 7' group. The galaxy ESO 264-G47 is at the east side, though was missed by Herschel. RNGC classifies this object as non-existent.

300/350mm - 14" (4/2/16 - Coonabarabran, 123x and 160x): ~30 stars visible in a 6' group with a mag 8.7 star at the northeast corner. The richest part is a 3'x1' group elongated NW-SE on the northeast side of the cluster. This subgroup includes a mag 10.6 star. An unequal mag 10.2/13 pair at 19" is on the south side with another mag 10.5 star ~45" SW. The brightest star in the field is mag 8.4 at ~10' NW.

The galaxy ESO 264-047 is situated just off the east side of the cluster, 2' E of the mag 10.6 star mentioned above. It appeared very faint, very small, round, 15" diameter.

600/800mm - 24" (2/22/14): viewed on the meridian at an elevation of 8°, but not an optimal view. At 200x, mag 8.7 SAO 222386 is at the NW edge. A group of ~20 stars is south and east including four mag 10-11 stars in a 7' region. The ESO galaxy just off the east edge was not seen. Mag 8.4 HD 94198 is roughly 10' NW. A number of stars are also scattered around this star including a couple of brighter ones, but this seems like an unrelated, random gathering.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb