400/500mm - 17.5" (2/9/02): immediately picked up at 140x as a large, very diffuse glow mostly west of a distinctive triple star (mag 11.5-12.5), which is situated along on the eastern edge of the galaxy! The low surface glow is elongated ~3:2 N-S, ~4'x2.5', although the edges generally fade into the background so the size was difficult to estimate. It appeared slightly brighter in the vicinity of the triple star [probably refers to HII region HSK 45]. The visibility of Holmberg II was surprisingly easy and it was quite obvious using averted vision although this object appeared more like a faint galactic nebula than a galaxy. I didn't note any of the HII regions seen on images. Holmberg II is an irregular dwarf in the M81 group.

900/1200mm - 48" (4/2/11): at 375x Holmberg II appeared as a fairly faint but very large, irregular ragged glow, roughly 5'x3.5' SSW-NNE with a low but irregular surface brightness and an ill-defined boundary. A mag 12 star is superimposed just east of center with two 13.5/13 stars 34" SSW and 47" SE, respectively. Just west of the brighter mag 12 star is small, fairly bright HII region (HSK 45 = HK 10), ~15" diameter. A second, much fainter HII knot (HSK 70 = HK 4) with a diameter of ~10" is 30" following the mag 13 star (SE member of the triangle). A similar third HII knot (HSK 73 = HK 1) lies 30" N. Just off its north edge is a fourth extremely small knot (HSK 71 = HK 2). The HSK designations are from "HII Regions of Holmberg II", PASP, 106, 309 (1994) and HK designations from Hodge and Kennicutt "At Atlas of HII regions in 125 galaxies" in AJ, 88, 296 (1983).