Wilhelm Tempel discovered NGC 5178 = T VIII-3 on 11 May 1883. His position in the main table is 1' north of UGC 8478, although the declination is marked uncertain as it was estimated from a diagram. Harold Corwin notes Ernst Hartwig missed this galaxy using the 18-inch Merz refractor at the Strasbourg Observatory (he found NGC 5171, 5176, 5177, 5179, 5186) as well as Sherburne Burnham and Hough with the 18.5-inch Clark refractor at the Dearborn Observatory NGC 5171, 5191). Tempel felt he could see nebulae as well with his 11-inch Amici I refractor as with an 18-inch Clark refractor.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/27/95): very faint, small, round, 30" diameter, weak concentration. A mag 12 star is 2.5' NW. Located 7' S of NGC 5171 in a small, rich group of five galaxies and 5.5' ESE of mag 8.1 SAO 100591.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb