William Herschel discovered NGC 6284 = H VI-11 = h1976 = h3665 on 22 May 1784 (sweep 223) and recorded "a cluster of stars, in respect of the size of the whole, as well as the distance and magnitude of the stars in it, a good miniature of the preceding. The colour of the stars also preserve a faint red; about 1.5 or 2' in diam. It may be called the next step to an easily resolvable nebula." He later commented "It is a good miniature of the 19th of the Connoiss. not only with respect to the size of the cluster, but also with regard to the mutual distance the reduced magnitude of the stars of which it consists." From the CGH, JH recorded "globular cluster; B; R: gbM; diam = 7.0s; resolved into stars 16m."

300/350mm - 13.1" (6/19/82): very small intense core, fainter halo with a few faint stars resolved over a mottled haze.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/3/00): moderately bright, small, round, 2' diameter, bright core, very small intense nucleus. At 500x, ~12-15 stars are resolved, mostly in the outer halo, and the cluster is very clumpy as if on the verge of more extensive resolution.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb