William Herschel discovered NGC 624 = H III-471 = h140 on 30 Nov 1837 (sweep 479) and described "a few small stars mixed with seeming nebulosity. 240 showed the same." There is a star at the south edge and another 1.4' N. John Herschel noted on 6 Jan 1831 (sweep 315), "eF; S; among 2 or 3 vF st, very difficult".

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/26/92): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 E-W, 1.0'x0.5'. A mag 13 star is at the south edge 30" from center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb