E.E. Barnard discovered NGC 5584 on 27 Jul 1881 with his 5-inch refractor from Nashville and it's probably the first galaxy Barnard discovered. He reported this galaxy in Sidereal Messenger I, p135 (1882) as "very faint nebulosity of moderate extension; pretty even in light. A small star involved. A brighter star lies north and just free of nebulosity." It was also announced in AN 108, p.369 with a position measured by Oliver Wendell at the Harvard Observatory. He noted that the nebula was "examined by, among others, Mr. Tempel and is here inserted merely as a matter of record", but there is not published observation by Tempel. Swift reported a mottled appearance and thought more light and power would resolve it.

200/250mm - 8" (6/29/84): faint, moderately large, very diffuse, no sharp edges. A mag 12 star is off the north edge 2.1' NNE. Located 3.4' SW of a mag 10.5 star.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/5/97): fairly large diffuse glow, elongated 3:2 NW-SE, ~3.5'x2.2', broad weak concentration which is offset towards the west side as the halo is much weaker west of the core. A mag 12 star is off the north side [2.1' NNE of center] and the SE end extends to a mag 13 star [1.9' SE of center].

Notes by Steve Gottlieb