John Herschel discovered NGC 3841 = h960 = Big. 48 on 25 Mar 1827 and simply noted "F; R." On a later sweep (334) he recorded "vF; S; the first of 4 [with NGC 3837, 3842 and 3845." All modern catalogues equate NGC 3841 with CGCG 097-096 = PGC 36469, but JH's two positions are a better match with the edge-on UGC 6697, as well as his offset from NGC 3842!

Heinrich d'Arrest's #118 in his AN 1500 discovery list matches CGCG 097-096, so he clearly observed this galaxy. In his main monograph "Siderum Nebulosorum" he gives an uncertain equivalence with h960. Harold Corwin's equates Big. 48 with NGC 3841. The MCG reverses the identifications of NGC 3841 and 3842.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/25/84): extremely faint, very small, in central core of AGC 1367.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/20/88): very faint, extremely small, small bright core. Located 1.3' N of NGC 3842 in the central core of AGC 1367. Nearby are NGC 3845 1.7' NNW, and UGC 6697 3.0' W.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb