Joseph Winlock discovered NGC 5872 = HN 30 on 30 Jul 1866 using the 15-inch Merz Refractor at Harvard Observatory. His position in Annals of Harvard Observatory, Vol 13, #329, matches PGC 54169. No description was given in the table but Dreyer included Bigourdan's description in the IC 1 notes.

300/350mm - 13.1" (6/11/83): faint, very small, possibly slightly elongated. A mag 14 star is superimposed 29" E of center. Located 6' W of mag 7.9 SAO 159077. The NGC 5858/NGC 5861 pair is roughly 30' NW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb