William Herschel discovered NGC 2948 = H III-519 = h615 on 24 Mar 1786 (sweep 543) and logged "vF, pL, vgvlbM; between two groups of stars in a directions from np to sf." His position matches UGC 5141.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/15/93): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 SSW-NNE, 1.2'x0.7', weak concentration. A mag 14.5 star is just off the east edge of the south extension 0.9' from center. Located between a mag 9.5 star 4.0' SW and wide pair of mag 11/13 stars 3' NE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb