Édouard Stephan discovered NGC 2424 = St XIII-33 on 6 Feb 1885 and described "vF; pS; lbM; mE WSW-ENE; length ~1'." His position and description matches UGC 3959 = PGC 21558.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/8/91): fairly faint, edge-on 5:1 WSW-ENE, very small bright core, faint stellar nucleus, very thin extensions from core. Located 7' WNW of mag 7.8 SAO 60267. The distant globular cluster NGC 2419 lies 37' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb