William Herschel discovered NGC 5804 = H III-679 = h1895, along with NGC 5797, on 15 May 1787 (sweep 736) and recorded "...and another still fainter and smaller [than NGC 5797] about 7 or 8' following the same star, and about 1' north of it. 300 confirmed it." His position is accurate. JH made the single observation "pF; S; vsbM to a * 13m; the third of 3 in a line [with NGC 5794 and 5797]; a 6.7m star near."

The RNGC position is 1.4 min of RA too far west, falling close to PGC 53381. Unfortunately, NGC 2000.0, Deep Sky Field Guide and the Uranometria 2000.0 atlas (first editions) followed the RNGC, confusing the identification. RNGC also confused the position or identification of NGC 5805. See Harold Corwin's identification notes.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/18/93): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 E-W, bright core, stellar nucleus. Third of three similar galaxies on a line: forms a close pair with NGC 5805 2.5' SSE with NGC 5797 7' WNW. Located 7.4' ENE of bright mag 5.6 SAO 45288. An incorrect position is given in RNGC, NGC 2000, and the first edition of U2000 and DSFG.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb