Johnstone and Bindon Stoney, LdR's assistants, discovered NGC 500, along with NGC 486, 490 and 492, on 6 Dec 1850. It was labeled Epsilon on the diagram in the 1861 and 1880 publications and noted as "vF."

400/500mm - 17.5" (12/23/92): very faint, very small, round, weak concentration, stellar nucleus. A mag 11 star is 1' NE. Located 10' NE of a mag 8 star. NGC 490 is 9' WSW and NGC 488 18' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb