John Herschel discovered NGC 3579 = h3325, in a group of nebulae, on 14 Mar 1834 and noted "R, sbM, by diagram. Place by collation of diagrams." Joseph Turner also sketched the group of nebulae on 19 May 1876 using the Great Melbourne Telescope (plate IV.35 at www.docdb.net/history/texts/1885osngmt________e/lithograph_m_4_35.php).

400/500mm - 18" (7/7/02 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): NGC 3579 is a small, fan or wedge-shaped section located just to the west of larger NGC 3584 within the RCW 57 complex. It appears 2' in size with a 12th magnitude star at the south tip and spreading to the north and west from this star. This is the second of 6 separate pieces catalogued by John Herschel.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb