Andrew Cooper
Aug 27, 2011    Hale Pohaku, HI (map)
46cm f/4.5 Newtonian, Deep Violet @ 175x
Seeing: 7 Transparency: 7 Moon: 0%

A magnificent face-on spiral, multiple arms visiblespiraling out from the core, a number of HII regions visible within the arms, a 12th magnitude star just 1' north of the core, a pair of 13 magnitude stars on the south margin, SN2011FE currently visible in the southern reach, at least a magnitude brighter than any of the involved stars

Andrew Cooper
Jun 12, 1999    Pinal Peak, AZ (map)
20cm f/10 SCT

Big! dim, low surface brightness, brighter at center, otherwise no detail

William Herschel
Apr 14, 1789    Observatory House, Slough (map)

SN. [very bright, small nucleus] with extensive nebulosity, pretty well determined on the preceding side, but very diffuse to the north following. Includes the two following nebulae [III.788 and 789, NGC5461 and NGC5462], and seems to extend 20', perhaps 30' or more.

― SEDS website

Charles Messier
Mar 27, 1781    

Nebula without star, very obscure & pretty large, of 6 or 7 minutes in diameter, between the left hand of Bootes & the tail of the great Bear. It is difficult to distinguish when one lights the wires.

― Connaissance des Temps, 1781