William Herschel discovered NGC 5399 = H III-411 = h1724 on 1 May 1785 (sweep 405) and noted "eF, vS." JH made two observations and recorded on sweep 131 "vF; vS; pmE in parallel [E-W]."

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/2/00): faint, thin edge-on E-W, 1.0'x0.25', weak concentration. Forms the western vertex of a triangle with two mag 11/12 star 3' NE and 4.4' E. MCG +06-31-035 lies 19' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb