William Herschel discovered NGC 393 = H I-54 = h88 on 5 Oct 1784 during sweeps 281-285, which were made in the east (not in Caroline's fair copy of the sweeps). On 18 Oct 1786 (sweep 618) he recorded "pB, S, R, vgbM." John Herschel logged on 1 Oct 1828 (sweep 183), "vF; vS; lE; gbM; 10". Allowing the moon & c. this cannot be a 1st class neb [as his father placed it]; no other neb near it." In the GC notes, JH mentioned "This [h88] is not the I. 54 of the P.T, which proved to be one of Messier's nebulae, but another subsequently inserted by WH, so as not to break the order of the numbers..." Both Herschels missed nearby NGC 389 (discovered by Lewis Swift).

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/1/92): fairly faint, small, elongated 4:3 SW-NE, sharp concentration, faint halo, two mag 13/13.5 star are 1.2' WNW and 1.6' NW with a separation of 36". Forms a pair with NGC 389 3.3' NNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb