History

William Herschel discovered the open cluster NGC 2232 on 5 December 1779 on his second star review using his 6.2-inch reflector and recorded it as the multiple star H. V. 14: «4 or 5 small stars within one Minute.» Later during his systematic sweeps he visited it on 16 October 1784, classified it with VIII 25 as «Coarsely scattered clusters of stars» and recorded: «The 10 Monocerotis surrounded by many bright stars.» ^{[364, 463]}