Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 5420 = LM 1-200 on 6 Jun 1885 and recorded "F, pS, vE, gbp, a little curved, shades off gradually like a comet's tail; no ncl seen." His rough position (nearest min of RA) is 1 min of RA west of MCG -02-36-006 = PGC 50121. Herbert Howe's corrected position (given in the IC Notes) is accurate.

400/500mm - 18" (5/29/05): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 5:2 NW-SE, 1.0'x0.4', weak concentration. A mag 13.5 star lies 1' S of the center.

18" (6/18/04): faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 NW-SE, 1.0'x0.5', slightly brighter core. Bracketed by two mag 14 stars 1.1' S and 1.8' NE of center. Located 22' NNW mag 6.4 SAO 158325.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb