John Herschel discovered NGC 6808 = h3794 on 27 Jun 1835 and recorded "Not vF; lE; gbM; 25"." On a second sweep he logged "pB; pmE; gb to one end (or by diagram a double nebula). A star 8m [HD 185618] follows on the parallel." His mean position is at the south edge of ESO 073-003.

Pietro Baracchi observed this galaxy on 7 Nov 1885 with the Great Melbourne Telescope. He wrote "pF, pS, E, uneven surface, pretty much brighter in some parts on its axis - no decided nucleus. The area only appears confusedly little brighter in the middle or brighter along the axis. This brighter internal portion of the object being somewhat uneven in light." His sketch shows brighter knots at the NE and SW ends of the galaxy.

400/500mm - 18" (7/9/02 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 171x appears moderately bright and large, elongated 2:1 SW-NE, 1.5'x0.7', weak concentration. Located 9' W of mag 7.1 HD 185618 and a mag 9.5 star is 5.3' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb