Bindon Stoney, LdR's assistant, probably discovered NGC 710 on 28 Oct 1850. He recorded "ssf [a group of 5 or more nebula] about 12' is a F, pL nebula with stars in it." It was picked up again by R.J. Mitchell on 12 Oct 1855 and noted as "6' or 7' sf this group is a pB, R, neb, bM." It was next found by Heinrich d'Arrest on 12 Aug 1863 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen and his position matches UGC 1349 = PGC 6972. Lawrence Parsons, the 4th Earl of Rosse, recorded the nebula on 18 Nov 1876 as "Sf the centre of the group of 4 neb is an eF, pL neb [Nova d'A = 5196], Pos 166°, Dist 390", it has 2 stars 12-13 mag south."

300/350mm - 13.1" (9/22/84): fairly faint, slightly elongated, fairly small, largest in field.

13.1" (12/11/82): faint, round, visible with direct vision, second brightest in the central core.

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/19/87): fairly faint, fairly small, oval slightly elongated ~E-W. A mag 15 star is 40" SSW of center. Located about 6' SSE of the central four galaxies (NGC 703, NGC 704, NGC 705, NGC 708) in the core of AGC 262.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb