Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 849 = LM 2-327 in 1886 with the 26" Clark refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory and reported "mag 14.8, 0.5', R, neb?". His position is 1.5' S of MCG -02-06-036 = PGC 8299. Herbert Howe reported in 1899-00, "The object is as bright as a star of mag 12, and appeared to me a trifle un-starlike. I could see nothing else which appeared nebulous in the neighborhood.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/8/94): extremely faint, small, round, 15" diameter, very low even surface brightness. Forms a pair with NGC 837 6.6' SSE. NGC 836 lies 16' NNE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb