Andrew Cooper
Apr 18, 1999    Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Reasonably bright, more at the core, maybe slightly elongated on P.A. 150, but my tired eyes may be fooling me. not many field stars

Rev. T.W. Webb
May 19, 1885    Hardwick, Herefordshire, England (map)

Very bright nebula. E. of Rosse, spiral. 2m 48s p M96 is M95. E. of Rosse, two ellipses, centre resolved?

― Celestial Objects for Common Telescopes, T. W. Webb, 1917

John Herschel
Apr 6, 1831    

Very bright; very large; extended; very suddenly very much brighter toward the middle; 6' long, 5' broad.

Charles Messier
Mar 24, 1781    

Nebula without star, in the Lion, near the preceding: this one is less distinct, both are on the same parallel of Regulus: they resemble the two nebulæ in the Virgin, Nos. 84 and 86. M. Méchain saw them both on March 20, 1781.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781