DeLisle Stewart discovered IC 5042 = D.S. 685 on a plate taken on 23 Aug 1900 at Harvard's Arequipa station in Peru. He noted "vF, vS, R, alm stell."

600/800mm - 30" (10/18/17 - OzSky): at 264x and 429x; fairly faint or moderately bright, fairly small, slightly elongated SW-NE, 0.6'x0.45', broad weak concentration. Forms a pair with slightly brighter IC 5038 7' NW. A 30" pair of mag 10.7/11.5 stars is 6' N. Located 12' SSE of mag 6.7 HD 197359.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb