William Herschel discovered NGC 4300 = H II-572 = h1201 on 17 Apr 1786 (sweep 553) and only noted "a nebula, [position] very badly taken." Despite WH's comment just previously in the sweep that "a slop occasioned by the same blundering person", his position is just off the southwest end of the galaxy.

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/28/87): fairly faint, elongated SW-NE, weak concentration. Located 20' E of NGC 4281 and 11' WNW of 17 Virginis (∑1636 = 6.6/9.4 at 21").

600/800mm - 24" (4/28/14): moderately bright, elongated 5:2 SW-NE, 1.0'x0.4', fairly well concentrated with a bright, elongated core. At the southern vertex of an isosceles triangle with two mag 9.2 stars 8.4' NNE and 9.2' NW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb