William Herschel discovered NGC 5838 = H II-542 on 24 Feb 1786 (sweep 532) and recorded "pB". His position is unusually accurate. JH made no observation but Johann von Lamont independently discovered this galaxy on 28 June 1837 with the 10.5-inch refractor at the Munich Observatory. Apparently Lamont was not aware of the earlier discovery of WH.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/15/93): bright, large, very elongated 7:2 SW-NE, 3.5'x1.0'. Dominated by a very bright core, stellar nucleus just visible, long fainter extensions. The southwest extension heads towards a bright wide double star 6' SW of core (mag 8.3 SAO 120829 and a mag 11 companion at 46"). A mag 14 star is just west of the SW extension 2.3' from the center. Located 38' E of 110 Virginis (V = 4.4).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb