Albert Marth discovered NGC 4796 = m 244 on 25 Mar 1865 and noted "eF, eS, alm stell, close to [NGC 4795]." The SDSS shows an extremely compact galaxy with extensions WSW-ENE, superimposed on the eastern arm of[NGC 4795. The Deep Sky Field Guide to the Uranometria 2000 Atlas refers to this object as "star or very bright patch 0.5' E of center", but does not refer to this object as NGC 4796.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/4/92): contact pair with brighter NGC 4795. Very faint, extremely small, slightly elongated, faint stellar nucleus. This object is attached at the east side of the halo of NGC 4795.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb