John Herschel discovered NGC 5026 = h3474 on 5 Jun 1834 and recorded "pB; pL; R; gbM; 50"." His mean position (3 nights) is accurate.

300/350mm - 13.1" (2/19/04 - Costa Rica): moderately bright, moderately large, oval 3:2 NNW-SSE, 1.5'x1.0', broad concentration. NGC 5011 lies 17' SW. Located 6.7' S of a mag 7 star.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/7/89): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated NNW-SSE, large brighter core. Part of an outlying group in the Centaurus cluster.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb