John Herschel discovered NGC 4838 = h1490 on 9 May 1831 and recorded "vF; has 3 small stars south-preceding." His position is 7 sec of time too large. Wilhelm Tempel found it again on 19 Apr 1882 and reported it in list V-25 (AN 2439). In the same observation, he also mentions a small nebulous star follows on the same parallel. Dreyer catalogued this object as NGC 4844 (see that number).

400/500mm - 17.5" (3/29/89): faint, small, round, weak concentration, faint stellar nucleus. Located 5' NNE of a mag 9 star (double star mag 8.8/9.0 at 2"). NGC 4847 lies 9.3' SE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb