History

This globular cluster was discovered by James Dunlop on 28 July 1826 at Parramatta Observatory (near Sydney) with his homemade 9-inch f/12 reflector. He listed it as number 295 and noted after five observations: «A pretty large and very bright nebula, 5' or 6' diameter, irregular round figure, easily resolved into a cluster of small stars, exceedingly compressed at the centre. The bright part at the center is occasioned by a group of stars of some considerable magnitude when compared with those of the nebula. I am inclined to think that these may be two clusters in the same line; the bright part is a little south of the centre of the large nebula.» ^[50]

John Herschel also observed this cluster multiple times from South Africa and listed it as h 3778. On 7 Aug 1834 he recorded «globular cluster; bright; rich; pretty suddenly brighter in the middle; 7'. The stars are of 2 magnitudes, the larger 11m, run out in lines like crooked radii. The smaller, 16m, are massed together in and round the middle.» ^[11]