Ormond Stone discovered NGC 848 = LM 1-49 = Sw. V-21 on 11 Dec 1885 and reported "mag 15.5, eS, E 325°, gbM, *10 north 1.0'." His position is 1 min of RA east of MCG -02-06-036 = PGC 8299, and the description of the nearby bright star applies. Swift independently found the galaxy on 1 Nov 1886 and reported Sw. V-21 as "eeeF; pL; ee diff.; * nr nf; 495-7-8-9 in field." Swift's position was 16 seconds of RA too far east. Frank Muller noted the equivalence with Stone's object in a Sidereal Messenger article in Feb 1887 that listed nebulae from Swift's 5th catalogue which had been discovered previously.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/31/86): fairly faint, elongated NW-SE, bright core. A mag 11 star is just off the north edge 1.2' from center. Member of the Arp 318 group.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb