Lewis Swift discovered NGC 6608 = Sw. I-92, along with NGC 6607 and 6609, on 4 Aug 1883 and recorded "vvS; R; vF; vF * nr." His position is just 5 seconds of RA preceding NGC 6609 = CGCG 301-021 = PGC 61559. Although his positions for NGC 6607 and 6609 are offset 16-17 seconds of RA too far west, there is no third galaxy on the same parallel, just preceding NGC 6609. However, MCG +10-26-024 = PGC 61556, is 2.3' south of his "corrected" position. Since there are three NGC numbers from Swift and three galaxies, it's reasonable to assign MCG +10-26-024 to NGC 6608. But there are several issues with this identification, besides the position.

MCG +10-26-024 is an extremely faint, narrow edge-on that I missed in my 18-inch on several attempts and I doubt Swift could have picked it up in his 16-inch refractor. Howe missed it with a 20" when he examined the field in 1899-00. Furthermore, there is no "vF * nr" to MCG +10-26-024 as in the description. Finally, MCG +10-26-024 is extremely thin, so "R" does not apply. Despite these inconsistencies, Corwin still favors NGC 6608 = MCG +10-26-024.

As an alternative, perhaps NGC 6608 is a duplicate of NGC 6609 = CGCG 301-021. His description for NGC 6608 also fits this galaxy, but that implies Swift was confused and recorded the same galaxy twice. MCG reverses the identifications of NGC 6608 and 6609 given here. See Corwin's notes for NGC 6607 for the full story.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/20/98): not found.

600/800mm - 24" (7/19/12): at 375x momentarily glimpsed 3 or 4 times as an extremely thin ghostly streak, perhaps 20"x5". Verified, though, as this difficult galaxy popped out just west of the midpoint of two mag 11 and 11.5 stars oriented NW-SE with a separation of 5.5'. Located 2' SSW of NGC 6609 and 2.7' SE of NGC 6607.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb