John Herschel discovered NGC 5918 = h1920 on 26 Apr 1830 and recorded "pB; pmE; vglbM; 60" long, 40" broad." The next sweep he logged "vF; L; mE; vlbM; north of a double star." His mean position is just off the west edge of UGC 9817.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/15/93): fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 E-W,1.4'x0.7', weak concentration. A nice unequal double star (mag 10.5/13) at 16" separation is 2.8' SSW of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb