Otto Struve discovered NGC 9 on 27 Sep 1865 with the 15-inch refractor at Pulkovo Observatory in St. Petersburg while unsuccessfully searching for comet Biela. Struve's position is 15 sec of RA west and 2' south of UGC 78 = PGC 652. He noted, though, that a mag 9 star follows by 26 seconds in RA, so the identification is certain. See NGC 8.

400/500mm - 17.5" (11/14/87): faint, small, slightly elongated ~N-S, weak concentration. Located at the western vertex of an isosceles triangle with two mag 9 stars 6' E and 6.5' NE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb