John Herschel discovered NGC 4988 = h3470 on 3 Jun 1834 NGC 4988 and recorded "vF; S; E; possibly a small group of stars, but I think it is nebulous." His position matches ESO 269-055 = MCG -07-27-037. The MCG does not identify it, though, as NGC 4988.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/19/04 - Costa Rica): at 166x appears fairly faint, moderately large, very elongated 4:1 SSW-NNE, 1.2'x0.3', broad weak concentration. Forms the southern vertex of a thin isosceles triangle with two mag 9-10 stars 2.8' NNW and 2.8' N. Located 32' W of NGC 5011 and 23' NW of mag 5.2 HD 114474 in the NGC 5011 cluster (outlying member of the Centaurus cluster or in a group surrounding the Centaurus cluster = AGC 3526).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb