Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 819 = St VI-2 on 20 Sep 1865 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen. He noted the mag 13 star 42" north and measured an accurate position. Édouard Stephan independently found the galaxy again on 15 Sep 1871 with the 31" reflector at Marseille Observatory.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/8/90): faint, small, round. A mag 13 star lies 1' N. Forms a pair with NGC 816 5.7' WNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb