Harold Corwin

IC 1740 may be the double star at 01 51 36.9, -29 55 23 (J2000) or it may be the double at 01 48 51.7, -30 05 12. The first is closer to Swift's position, but the second is a pair of nearly equally bright stars. That would fit Swift's description considerably better. Other doubles that might have been Swift's objects are at 01 51 22.7, -26 22 05 and 02 21 22.44 -29 55 19 -- both possible with digit errors in Swift's position -- though they are further afield from the nominal position.

Swift makes a great deal of this object (and a near twin, IC 1589, which see) as a close pair of nebulous stars, so Lauberts's suggestion that this one may be NGC 749 is certainly not correct (NGC 749 has no companion, star or galaxy). Swift claims to have seen the object several times at different powers, but given that there is nothing at his position, we can't say for sure just what he did see. I'm leaning toward the second pair noted above, but we may never know for sure.

Also see NGC 3260 for more on Swift's double objects.

― IC Notes by Harold Corwin

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