Lewis Swift discovered NGC 6582 = Sw. IV-67 on 24 Jul 1884 and recorded "eeF; pS; R; in vacancy, between 6 stars like sickle in Leo, and 4 like alpha, beta, gamma and delta Ursae Majoris." His position is 14 seconds of RA west of the double system UGC 11146 (apparently he only noticed the brighter eastern component). The 4 stars forming a little bowl are south and the 6 stars forming a sickle are north. Bigourdan measured an accurate position on 14 Aug 1892 as well as Howe in 1899-00. Howe also noted "a star of mag 13.5 precedes about 2 seconds." The mag 13.5 "star" is MCG +08-33-029, the western component of the double system.

MCG and PGC (and secondary sources including Megastar software) misidentify CGCG 254-021 as NGC 6582. This galaxy is fainter than UGC 11146 and not between the group of stars described by Swift. UGC has the correct identification.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/22/01): the eastern component of this double system is faint, fairly small, round, ~30" diameter. Just off the northwest end is MCG +08-33-029, a fainter companion that was cleanly resolved in good seeing. It appeared very faint, very small, slightly elongated, 0.3'x0.2'. CGCG 254-021 (often misidentified as NGC 6582), located 6' W, appeared very faint, extremely small, round, 10" diameter. A mag 15 star is close northwest [28" between centers]

17.5" (8/1/89): this is the following member of a double system. Faint, small, round, weak concentration, faint stellar nucleus. A companion is very close west just 33" separation between centers and appears very faint, small, round, low surface brightness.

600/800mm - 24" (7/28/16): at 260x; the brighter eastern member (MCG +08-33-030) of the NGC 6582 pair appeared fairly faint to moderately bright, fairly small, round, 30", fairly sharp concentration with a small bright core. The western member of the pair (MCG +08-33-028) appeared faint to fairly faint, very small, round. Contains a very small bright nucleus and a faint 15" halo. The centers of the two galaxies are separated by 33" WNW-ESE and the halos are just separated. NGC 6582 is the brightest in a group of galaxies at roughly 700 million l.y.

MCG +08-33-026, located 6' W, appeared fairly faint, small, round, 15" diameter, weak concentration to the center. A mag 15.0 star is off the NW side [27" from center]. This galaxy is often misidentified as NGC 6582. UGC 11149, 3' SE, is faint, small, slightly elongated NNW-SSE, ~20"x15", very small slightly brighter nucleus. A group of 5 stars is close south and east with a mag 11.5 star 1.5' E. MCG +08-33-023, 13' WNW, is faint to fairly faint, fairly small, round, 20" diameter, weak concentration.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb