Guillaume Bigourdan discovered NGC 6602 = Big. 83 on 1 Jul 1886 and recorded "appears to be a cluster of 30" dia, consisting of very dim stars, perhaps interspersed with nebulosity, distinct from GC 5907 [= NGC 6600]. There is nothing at his Comptes Rendus position but exactly 41 seconds of RA east is UGC 11184. A star at the east edge perhaps gave Bigourdan the impression it was a cluster. He later corrected the RA in the 6 May 1901 Comptes Rendus paper (repeated in the IC 2 Notes).

UGC, MCG and CGCG fail to label this galaxy as NGC 6602. RNGC, though, identifies it as NGC 6602. NGC 6600 may be a duplicate (earlier) observation of this galaxy (see notes on NGC 6600).

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/1/89): faint, small, slightly elongated, even surface brightness. A mag 14 star is attached at the east end. Located in the field of NGC 6599, which lies 14' SW.

600/800mm - 24" (8/12/18): at 375x; fairly faint to moderately bright, fairly small, slightly elongated N-S, strong concentration with a very small very bright nucleus. A mag 14.4 star is at the east side. A mag 10.7 star is 3.5' NW. IC 1285, an asterism of 4 stars mag 14-15.5, lies 6.5' NW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb