William Herschel discovered NGC 5602 = H II-694 on 15 May 1787 (sweep 736) and recorded "pF, pS, mbM, lE." CH's reduction is 2' north of UGC 9210. Copeland observed the field at Birr Castle on 9 Apr 1874 and noted, "2 nebulae, both S, nf one the fainter." A diagram with west down, published in the large 1880 monograph, appears to show NGC 5602, labeled Alpha with a bright core, and probably CGCG 272-003, labeled Beta. The orientation of the pair is correct, although NGC 5602, the north-following object, is much brighter. Two additional objects, labeled Delta and Gamma (indicated with a question mark) are also included, those these are likely faint stars. Probably since there was no follow up observation and Dreyer didn't know which object was NGC 5602, he didn't assign CGCG 272-003 an NGC designation.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/2/00): fairly faint, small, slightly elongated NNW-SSE, 0.7' diameter, sharply concentrated with a bright 20" core. MCG +08-26-022 is in the field 9' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb