William Herschel discovered NGC 945 = H II-487 = h225 = h2480 on 28 Nov 1785 (sweep 479) and recorded "F, cL, iF, lbM". Herschel missed the companion NGC 948. John Herschel observed NGC 945 from Slough on 6 Jan 1831 and at the Cape, though he also missed NGC 948. His Cape observation from 9 Dec 1835 reads "eF, L, R, glbM, 2'." Francis Leavenworth (list I-56) probably independently found the galaxy again in 1886 at the Leander McCormick Observatory.

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/4/93): fairly faint, moderately large, elongated 3:2 NNW-SSE, weak concentration to a small core. A mag 14 star is off the SE side 1.4' from center. Located 5' N of mag 8.5 SAO 148906. Forms a pair with much fainter NGC 948 2.5' NE. Brightest in a group.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb