Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 861 on 18 Sep 1865 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen. He noted a mag 12 star (double) was joined to the south and his single position is just off the southwest side of UGC 1737 = PGC 8652.

300/350mm - 13.1" (11/14/87): faint, very small, edge-on SW-NE. A mag 13 star is attached at the SW end 0.5' from center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb