Johnstone and Bindon Stoney, LdR's assistants, discovered NGC 486, along with NGC 490, 492 and 500, on 6 Dec 1850. The field was observed on four nights, although this object was mentioned twice as only "suspected" (labeled Delta on the sketch in the 1880 publication). The micrometric position from the 22 Oct 1876 observation is 339" N (PA 353°) of NGC 488. This corresponds with an extremely faint galaxy along with a faint star. This galaxy is too faint to be included in CGCG, MCG, RC3, PGC but is now listed in HyperLeda as PGC 1281966. RNGC, PGC and DSFG misidentify MCG +01-04-037 = PGC 4975 (situated close southwest of NGC 492) as NGC 486. Discussed in Malcolm Thomson's unpublished Catalogue Corrections.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/4/97): A stellar object was glimpsed a few times at my plotted position 5.5' N of NGC 488. On the DSS the nearly stellar galaxy forms a close pair with a very faint star off the NE side. It is possible that I glimpsed this star, which may be brighter than the galaxy.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb