George Johnstone Stoney, LdR's assistant, discovered the numerous knots in M101 during observations made in Apr and May 1851. Samuel Hunter made a remarkly accurate sketch of M101, along with the various knots, in Apr 1861 based on multiple observations. John Herschel estimated the position in the GC based on this sketch. The NGC position is about 3' too far south. Hermann Kobold measured an accurate micrometric position in 1898, though it wasn't published until 1907.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/7/97): fairly faint HII region in M101 located 6.6' SSW of center. Very small, round, 15" diameter. Appears a compact but nonstellar knot forming an isosceles triangle with two mag 13 stars 2.3' NE and 2.3' NW.

600/800mm - 24" (5/24/20): at 375x; fairly faint knot, small, round, 0.3' diameter, moderate surface brightness. Forms the south vertex of an isosceles triangle with two mag 13.5-14 star 2.3' NE and 2.3' NNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb