William Herschel discovered NGC 4648 = H I-274 = h1410 on 22 Nov 1797 (sweep 1064) and logged "cB, vS, 6 or 7' following a coarse double star." JH made 5 observations and recorded "F; S; bM", along with an accurate position, on sweep 348.

400/500mm - 18" (5/8/04): fairly bright, moderately large, strongly concentrated with a bright 30" core and a much fainter halo ~1' in diameter. Situated within a wedge-shaped group of 8 stars. A striking mag 8.1/10.5 pair 7' W is collinear with the galaxy (oriented E-W). NGC 4589 lies 22' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb