William Herschel discovered NGC 3073 = H III-853, along with NGC 3079, on 1 Apr 1790 (sweep 955) and logged "vF, S, vglbM." Caroline's reduced position is 8 seconds of RA west of UGC 5374. John Herschel didn't make an observation. Although the NGC position was off by only 1', NGC 3073 was reported as a new nebula when it was found by Keeler on a Crossley reflector plate in 1898-00 and catalogued in the 1908 Publications of Lick Observatory, Vol VIII.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/12/88): faint, small, round. Located 10' WSW of NGC 3079.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb