William Herschel discovered NGC 7762 = H VII-55 = h2272 on 23 Nov 1788 (sweep 883) and described "a cluster of scattered vS stars, irr figure, pretty rich. Contains a vacancy n the middle." A second observation was made the next night. In his 1814 PT paper he speculated "this appearance may be accounted for by supposing, for instance, three, four or a greater number of preponderating attracting centres near each other, situated so as to enclose a certain space, the stars in which, then, cannot be accumulated, while the clustering power arising from the combined attractions with be exerted on the surrounding stars." JH made the single observation "a vL, v coarse, rather poor cluster of *s 11...15m. The most compressed part taken."

200/250mm - 8" (10/31/81): scattered cluster but one rich subgroup, fairly large, elongated N-S.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/13/90): about 100 stars in a 20' field including many mag 12-13 stars. Very large, fairly coarse but there is a rich region near the center consisting of six tight stars almost on a line oriented NNW-SSE with much haze nearby including a partially resolved clump close north. A mag 8 star is at the east edge. Located 15' NE of mag 5.0 SAO 20853.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb