William Herschel discovered NGC 4216 = H I-35 = h1148 on 17 Apr 1784 (sweep 199) and recorded "vmE, vbM and the brightness also elongated. The whole not less than 9 or 10' long." John Herschel made 5 observations, the earliest 10 and 11 Apr 1825 (sweeps 2 and 3). On sweep 3 he logged, "A very remarkable long ray, extended 70° nf to sp, 1/2 field in length [7 1/2'], smbM. It has a star nf of center."

Samuel Hunter, LdR's assistant on 23 Apr 1860, recorded "a fine E neb, vBM like a globular cluster (I think too it is resolvable?), small star following nucl, where I also think there is very dilute nebulosity, parallel to neb [beyond the dust lane]. The neb is either twisted at n end in p direction or it has a faint companion there? Dark space around centre? perhaps only the contrast of the bright centre. 15' long." The possible nebula Hunter mentions to the north is likely CGCG 069-113.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/23/88): very bright, very large, edge-on 5:1 SSW-NNE, small very bright core. A mag 14 star is close east of the core. This is a striking galaxy and is the second of three edge-on galaxies in the same field with NGC 4206 11' SW and NGC 4222 12' NE in Coma Berenices!

Notes by Steve Gottlieb