William Herschel discovered NGC 3465 = H III-967 = h795, along with H III-968, on 2 Apr 1801 (sweep 1096). He only recorded a single position and noted "Two, the 1st [NGC 3465] vF, vS. The 2nd eF and smaller than the first. It is a little more north and following, but very near to it." This is one of 15 far northern galaxies with large systematic errors. A corrected position matching UGC 6056 and 6090 was published in 1911 using plates taken at the Greenwich Observatory with the 30-inch reflector. Dreyer repeated the corrected positions in the notes to his 1912 edition of WH's catalogues. In the NGC, Dreyer assigned both III-967 and III-968 to NGC 3500 (calling it a "D neb, v near").

John Herschel independently discovered NGC 3465 on 4 Apr 1832 and logged h795 as "eF; pL; R; vglbM; 30", a double star nf points to it." His position and description clearly applies to UGC 6056. JH was credited with the discovery of NGC 3465 in the GC and NGC, though his father should probably receive credit. See NGC 2938 for more on this sweep.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/25/98): extremely faint, fairly small, round. First of three in trio with NGC 3500 9' E and NGC 3523 14.5' ESE. Appears as a low surface brightness spot of 25" diameter (probably viewed core) with little or no concentration. Observation of the group was severely affected by hazy skies.

600/800mm - 24" (5/25/14): at 375x appeared fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 4:3 ~E-W, 30"x22", contains a very small brighter core and occasional stellar nucleus. A mag 14-14.5 star is just 40" SE. First in the KTG 34 triplet with NGC 3500 9' E and NGC 3523 14.5' ESE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb