William Herschel discovered NGC 3985 = H III-707 = h1025 on 5 Feb 1788 (sweep 808) and recorded "vF, vS. Another still fainter and smaller suspected sf." The latter object is either a faint star or nonexistent as there is only a single galaxy here. Soon after "A thick fog came up at once; it has been below all the evening."

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/7/89): moderately bright, moderately large, oval WSW-ENE, broad moderate concentration, small bright core. Member of the NGC 3877 subgroup of the M109 (NGC 3992) group = LGG 258.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb