William Herschel discovered NGC 4459 = H I-161 = h1288 on 14 Jan 1787 (sweep 691) and recorded "vB, pL, iR." His position is accurate. JH logged (sweep 23) "pB; R; bM; r; has a *8m 2' dist; 45° sf."

300/350mm - 13.1" (5/14/83): fairly bright, small, slightly elongated, small bright nucleus.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/25/87): bright, fairly small, slightly elongated ~E-W, bright intense compact core, stellar nucleus. Located 2.2' NW of mag 8.1 SAO 100121. NGC 4468 lies 8.7' NE and NGC 4474 is 14' NE. A close pair, NGC 4446 and NGC 4447 lies 13' WSW.

600/800mm - 24" (5/29/14): very bright, moderately large, slightly elongated 5:4 ~E-W, ~1.5'x1.2', sharply concentrated with a small intensely bright core, stellar nucleus, appears mottled near the core. The halo increases in size with averted. Mag 8.7 HD 108676 lies 2.2' SE of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb