Édouard Stephan discovered NGC 3839 = St XII-48 on 19 Apr 1882. His position matches UGC 6700 = PGC 36475.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/25/87): fairly faint, fairly small, weak concentration, elongated WSW-ENE. Forms the north vertex of near equilateral triangle with mag 8.5 SAO 99760 6.0' SSE and mag 8.4 SAO 99756 7.1' SW. Member of the NGC 3817-3869 group (USGC U412), which includes HCG 58.

600/800mm - 24" (5/20/20): at 225x and 375x; fairly faint, moderately large, ~50"x30", relatively large slightly elongated central region, low surface brightness outer halo extended E-W. Located 6' NNW of mag 8.1 HD 101932.

IC 727, situated 8.4' E, appeared as a very faint, very thin low surface brightness streak, ~8:1 NNW-SSE, brighter core, ~0.8'x0.1'. A mag 8 star (HD 101932) is 9' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb