Ormond Stone discovered NGC 5816 = LM 1-220, along with NGC 5817, in 1886 with the 26" refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory. His description is "mag 11.0, 0.8' dia, gbMN, stellar." There is nothing at his rough position (nearest min of RA), though 2 min of RA west and 2.5' north is PGC 902544. If this identification is correct, then NGC 5817, which Stone placed 4' south, applies to MCG -03-38-041 = PGC 53567. The actual separation in declination is 5'. But Stone's magnitude (11.0) would have to apply to MCG -03-38-041, which is about 1.5 magnitudes brighter than PGC 902544. Herbert Howe searched for the pair around 1900, but only reported a position for NGC 5817, so he apparently missed PGC 902544 with the 20-inch refractor at the Chamberlin Observatory in Denver.

400/500mm - 18" (6/21/09): extremely faint, very small, round, 12" diameter. This difficult galaxy was visible nearly continuously with averted. Located 7.7' NE of NGC 5817. The NGC identifications of these two galaxies is uncertain.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb