NGC 5516 forms a close pair with ESO 221-034A just 1.8' SE. It was visible as a very faint to faint patch, small, slightly elongated WNW-ESE, 20"x14", low surface brightness. The two galaxies have similar redshifts so form a physical pair.

John Herschel discovered NGC 5516 = h3562 on 1 Jul 1834 and recorded (sweep 464) "F; S; R: near 2 st 12m; a small double star follows by 5'." His position is accurate.

300/350mm - 14" (4/2/16 - Coonabarabran, 160x): moderately or fairly bright, moderately large, slightly elongated N-S, 50"x40", contains a small bright core with a relativelylarge halo. Resides in a pretty rich star field with a pair of mag 11.1/11.4 stars at 11" separation 3.4' ESE. This pair is at the north tip of a very distinctive "Y" or "T-bone" asterism with three stars due south, branching into two "arms" (actually a semicircle) branching southwest and southeast. Three mag 12-12.5 form a small triangle less than 2' NNE. A double star HJ 4666 = 8.5/10.5 at 11" lies 12' ESE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb