William Herschel discovered NGC 622 = H III-454 = h138 on 9 Oct 1785 (sweep 463) and logged "Suspected, eF, pL, 240 power left it doubtful." The NGC position matches UGC 1143 = PGC 5939. John Herschel recorded on 16 Dec 1827 (sweep 110), "vF; not vS; not bM."

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/23/92): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 ~E-W. Even surface brightness except for a well-defined very small bright core and faint stellar nucleus or faint star superimposed.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb