Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 4867 = Big 62 on 10 May 1863 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen. In d'Arrest's description of NGC 4864, he mentions it forms a close double, though no position was given. Bigourdan independently found this galaxy on 28 Apr 1885 and noted it was very close to GC 3343 NGC 4864] but easily distinguishable. Bigourdan's Comptes Rendus position was 1.4' too far north and as a result the position is northeast of NGC 4864 in the NGC, instead of southeast. Hermann Kobold measured an accurate position in 1895, though it wasn't published until 1907. Harold Corwin proposes that William Herschel may be the original discoverer of NGC 4864/4867.

300/350mm - 13.1" (5/14/83): very faint, small, round, very close pair with NGC 4864. Located 5' WNW of NGC 4874, AGC 1656.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/21/90): very faint, extremely small, round. Forms a double system with NGC 4864 off the NW edge 40" from center. Located 4.5' W of NGC 4874 in the core of AGC 1656.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb