Guillaume Bigourdan discovered IC 4397 = Big. 419 = J. 3-1299 on 23 Jun 1889. Javelle found it again on 11 Jun 1895, measured it on 3 nights and both are credited in the IC. Bigourdan's Comptes Rendus table gives the discovery date as 23 Jun 1898, so Javelle may have been the first observer.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/2/00): faint, moderately large, elongated 3:2 N-S, 1.2'x0.8', weak concentration, fairly low surface brightness. Located 10' NW of NGC 5553.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb