John Herschel discovered NGC 3204 = h698 on 24 Dec 1827 (sweep 115) and logged "F; L; 40" - 60"; gbM." His position matches UGC 5580.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/25/95): faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 NW-SE, 0.8'x0.5'. Located 4.1' NE of a mag 11 star. A mag 7.7 star (SAO 81305) lies 13' SE at the edge of the field.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb