William Herschel discovered NGC 661 = H II-610 = h147 on 26 Oct 1786 (sweep 626) and noted "F, S, bM, resolvable". John Herschel logged on 15 Sep 1828 (sweep 177), "pF; S; R; psbM". His position matches UGC 1215 = PGC 6376. E.E. Barnard independently found it on 11 Oct 1882 with his 5-inch refractor and described a "minute speck of a nebula...which I assume to be new."

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/26/92): moderately bright, fairly small, elongated 4:3 WSW-ENE, prominent core, bright stellar nucleus. Bracketed by two mag 14 stars 75" SW and 75" NE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb