Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 725 = LM 1-39 on 9 Nov 1885 with the 26" refractor at the Leander McCormick Observatory. There is nothing at his position but 1.6 min of RA west is MCG -03-05-025 = PGC 6950. Bigourdan was not able to recover the object at Leavenworth's position. Herbert Howe measured an accurate position in 1899-00 using the 20" refractor at Chamberlin Observatory (repeated in the IC 2 notes).

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/29/94): very faint, small, elongated 3:2 SSW-NNE, 30"x20", low surface brightness, weak concentration. Located 6.4' WSW of mag 7.8 SAO 148081.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb