William Herschel discovered NGC 637 = H VII-49 on 9 Nov 1787 (sweep 777) and noted "a cluster of some cL stars and many eS, so as hardly to be visible. The large ones arranged in circular order 3' or 4' diameter."

200/250mm - 8" (1/1/84): 10 stars in cluster includes four mag 10 stars and fainter, mottled, over haze.

300/350mm - 13.1" (12/7/85): rich cluster of two dozen stars arranged in an arc. There are five bright stars including a mag 10/11.2 double star at 9" separation.

400/500mm - 18" (10/25/08): very pretty cluster at 283x. The central 2.5' region is rich and contains roughly 3 dozen stars including a mag 10.2/11.4 double (STI 264 = ADS 1342) at 9.5" separation. A third mag 11 star forms a wide trio 46" to the south. An arc or "C" shaped curve of stars passes through the central double and opens to the north. A chain of brighter stars begins at the center of the open end of the arc (on north side) and zigzags to the north and NE. A wide bright double (23" separation) sits at the east end of the central region. Finally another fainter linear chain of stars heads to the west of the central region. Within a 5' region, 50-60 stars are resolved.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb