Guillaume Bigourdan discovered NGC 3946 = Big 49, along with NGC 3948, on 23 Apr 1886. His position is an exact match with CGCG 127-096 = PGC 37268.
400/500mm - 17.5" (4/7/89): very faint, extremely small, round. Located 3.0' ENE of a mag 10.5 star. Member of the NGC 3937 group with NGC 3954 9.6' SE and NGC 3940 8' W.
Notes by Steve Gottlieb