Edward Pickering discovered NGC 6578 on 18 Aug 1882 using a direct-vision spectroscope with the 15-inch refractor at the Harvard College Observatory. NGC 6578 was found on the same night with NGC 6439 and NGC 6567. His RA, though, was 1.5 minutes too small (same error as NGC 6567) and his declination was 10' too far north. The discovery was announced in AN 2459 and Sidereal Messenger, Oct 1882.

Based on Crossley photographs at Lick, Curtis (1918) reported NGC 6578 as "nucleus almost stellar; mag 15. Disk nearly round, 8.5" in diameter; no ansae or structural details discernable."

300/350mm - 13" (6/18/85): just non-stellar at 220x, estimate V = 13.0, 5" diameter. Suspected nebulous at 144x, confirmed by UHC blinking. Located 7.2' NW of mag 7.1 SAO 186575 (17 Sagittarii?). Forms a close double with a mag 11 star 21" WSW and a pair of mag 11 stars is 1' SE. This PN is plotted incorrectly on the Sky Atlas 2000.0.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/17/01): Situated within a clump of stars at 100x and appeared stellar at low power. At 500x, a small unevenly lit 4" disc was easily visible close ENE [21"] of a mag 11 star. An extremely faint star is just off the SE edge and an evenly matched 20" pair of mag 11 stars lie 1' SE. Located 7' NW of a mag 7 star.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb