William Herschel discovered NGC 5174 = H III-45/46 = h1612 on 15 Mar 1784 (sweep 174) and logged "Two, vF. I took them at first for only one, but 240 showed two eF nebula as it were running into each other and of considerable extent; 157 showed also a division between their center after I had seen them with 240." There is only a single galaxy here and NGC 5175 is very likely a star at the south end of the galaxy.

Interestingly, the first observation by JH also describes a double system (probably following his father's lead): "vF; two close together, or one E nearly in meri. A star 11m N." His second observation simply states "eF, E, involves a star at the S end." Dreyer's observation at Birr Castle on 4 Apr 1877 mentions "found only one neb, vF, vS, stellar no other neb found."

Lewis Swift independently found the galaxy again on 19 Mar 1887 and recorded it in list VI-58, but his position was 1 tmin too far west. Dreyer, assuming it was new, catalogued it as NGC 5162. So, NGC 5174 = NGC 5162.

RNGC misidentifies UGC 8468 as NGC 5175. CGCG misidentifies CGCG 072-087 as both NGC 5174/5175. For more on the story, see Corwin's notes.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/27/95): fairly faint, moderately large, elongated 5:2 NNW-SSE, 2.5'x1.0', broad concentration to a brighter core. A mag 14 star [NGC 5175] is superimposed on the south end 45" from the center. A mag 12 star is 2.3' NNE. Brightest in a group of NGC galaxies with most members about 30' N. Located 11' NNE of 71 Virginis (V = 5.7).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb