John Herschel discovered NGC 782 = h2454 on 27 Oct 1834 and logged "pB, pL, lE, attached to a star 12th mag." His position is accurate.

600/800mm - 25" (10/15/17 - OzSky): at 244x and 397x; fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated WSW-ENE, ~1.0' diameter. Contains a central "bar" oriented ~E-W within a brighter quasi-stellar nucleus. A mag 14-14.5 star is superimposed at the northeast end of the galaxy with the nucleus WSW [by 28"]. A thin, low surface brightness spiral arm is attached at the east end of the galaxy. It was occasionally glimpsed, extending towards the southwest and separating from the central region.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb