Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 417 = LM 2-300 in 1886 with the 26" refractor at the Leander McCormick Observatory. His RA is 0.4 min west of ESO 541-024, a close enough match. This is a double system, though Leavenworth missed the fainter northern component. Herbert Howe measured an accurate position in 1899-00 using the 20" refractor at Chamberlin Observatory (repeated in the IC 2 notes).

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/4/97): extremely faint, very small, round, 20" diameter. Can almost hold continuously with averted vision after identified at 280x. Very weak if any concentration. No brighter stars in field.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb