Wilhelm Tempel discovered NGC 976 = T I-11 in 1876 with an 11" refractor at the Arcetri Observatory and recorded "Class III, small and faint; on one side of a trapezoid of 4 stars." His position is 1' S of UGC 2042 = PGC 9776 and the trapezoid of stars is just to the north.

300/350mm - 13.1" (9/3/86): fairly faint, fairly small, round, bright core. Situated between two faint stars oriented N-S. Located about 30' SE of a mag 7 star.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/20/90): moderately bright, fairly small, irregularly round, large bright core, very small bright nucleus.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb