Albert Marth discovered NGC 6580 = m 369 = Sf 31, along with NGC 6579, 6576 and 6577, on 7 Aug 1864 and noted "F, Dneb [with NGC 6579]." His position matches CGCG 142-022 = PGC 61566. Truman Safford rediscovered this galaxy on 6 Jun 1866 with the 18.5-inch Clark refractor at the Dearborn Observatory. CGCG misidentifies CGCG 142-020 as NGC 6579/6580. This error is mentioned in Malcolm Thomson's unpublished "Catalogue Corrections".

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/16/88): faint, small, elongated NW-SE, small bright core, diffuse halo. A mag 12 star is off the north edge. Forms a double system with NGC 6579 off the SW edge 34" from centers. Brightest in the cluster.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb