William Herschel discovered NGC 5407 = H III-684 = h1732 on 16 May 1787 (sweep 738) and logged "vF, vS, R." JH recorded "vF; vS; R; bM; among a cluster of stars 10m."

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/27/95): faint, small, round, 30" diameter, weak concentration, faint stellar nucleus with direct vision. Located with a group of brighter stars and just follows a striking isosceles triangle of mag 11 stars (a mag 13 star is along one side). Also mag 9 SAO 63883 lies 3.8' W and mag 6.7 SAO 63881 is 9.2' SW! In same field with NGC 5406 15' SSW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb