Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 4859 on 21 Apr 1865 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen. His single position is accurate.
400/500mm - 17.5" (5/14/94): faint, small, slightly elongated E-W, 0.6'x0.5', very weak concentration. A mag 13.5 star is 1.8' SE. Outlying member of AGC 1656.
Notes by Steve Gottlieb