John Herschel discovered NGC 6256 = h3658 on 28 Jun 1834 and recorded "globular cluster; eF; vL; vglbM; 4' diam; perceived with the upmost attention to be resolved into vS stars 20th magnitude." The next night he logged "VI. class. A vL neb, or rather vF, R, cl VI class; vF; irreg R; vglbM; 4'." His position is fairly accurate.

Sky Catalogue 2000.0 misidentifies Terzan 12 as NGC 6256.

300/350mm - 13.1" (5/30/87): very faint, small, round, requires averted but definite at 62x and 166x. A faint star is visible at the SW end.

400/500mm - 18" (7/9/02 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): this is a small, faint globular with a small, brighter core. A brighter mag 12 field star is attached at the south edge. At 171x appears just 2' diameter with a few mag 15 stars resolved around the periphery and occasionally over the mottled core.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb