Lewis Swift discovered NGC 5788 = Sw. VI-72, along with NGC 5785, on 21 Apr 1887 and recorded "eeeF; S; R; ee dif; sf of 2 [with NGC 5785]. Assuming NGC 5785 = NGC 5783 = UGC 9586, there is no galaxy to the southeast, but CGCG 273-032 = PGC 53189 lies 2.6' southwest and the logical candidate assuming he erred on the orientation.

Neither CGCG nor MCG label this galaxy as NGC 5788, but it is the choice of the RNGC. I originally concluded NGC 5788 was lost (Malcolm Thomson concurred) and wrote up this case in RNGC Correction #7 as a RNGC misidentification. But Swift made several similar errors in his observations, so it is not unreasonable that NGC 5788 = CGCG 273-032. See notes on NGC 5785 as well as Harold Corwin's comments.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/18/93): extremely faint, very small, round, just visible continuously with averted, low even surface brightness. A mag 14 star is 2.1' W. Located 2.6' SW of NGC 5783. Identified as NGC 5788 in the RNGC, NGC 2000 and DSFG although the identification is uncertain.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb