Guillaume Bigourdan found IC 2989 = Big. 287 on 29 Mar 1895. This was the third discovery of NGC 4139 = CGCG 013-061 = PGC 38213. Heinrich d'Arrest first discovered this galaxy in 1863, but made a 5 minute error in RA. David Todd rediscovered the galaxy on 6 Jan 1878 during his search for a trans-Neptunian planet. As there nothing at the NGC position, Dorothy Carlson and the RNGC classified NGC 4139 as nonexistent. CGCG labels this galaxy as IC 2989.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/10/86): faint, very small, elongated 2:1 SW-NE, small bright core. Forms a close pair with NGC 4077 just 1.3' NW in a group. Located 6.0' SSE of NGC 4073. Listed as "not found" in RNGC and identified as IC 2989 in UGC, MCG and CGCG as d'Arrest's RA is 5 minutes too large.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb