Wilhelm Tempel discovered NGC 3704 = T I-35 = T V-10 on 23 Feb 1878 with the 11" refractor at the Arcetri Observatory and recorded "Class III; a star 15m (nebulous?) follows 2 sec; near the comparison star is another fainter nebula [NGC 3707]." His micrometric position matches MCG -02-29-037 = PGC 35435, the brighter of the pair.

Andrew Ainslie Common independently discovered this galaxy in 1880 with his 36" silvered-glass reflector and described "2 [along with[NGC 3707], F, R, on the parallel, star symmetrically placed between." Common's single position is 13' north of MCG -02-29-037 but his description is a perfect match with the pair. The NGC description for NGC 3704 mentions a mag 9-10 star 2' SSE of NGC 3704, although the bright star is actually 2.6' WNW. The RNGC and MCG position is 2' too far north.

Harold Corwin suggests that Swift's IC 703 might be a duplicate observation of NGC 3704.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/29/85): fairly faint, very small, round, bright core. A mag 15 star is 42" E of center. Forms a close pair with NGC 3707 1.7' E. Located 2.6' ESE of a mag 10 star.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb