Isaac Roberts discovered IC 5381 = J. 3-1468, along with IC 5377 and 5378, on a plate taken with his 20-inch reflector on 17 Nov 1895 of NGC 7814. He described IC 5381 as "Bright; elongated north following to south preceding about 50"; stellar nucleus about 17th mag; four 12 to 16 stars on the south near it." It was found again by Keeler or Perrine between 1898-00 on plates taken with the Crossley reflector and catalogued as #740 in a table of 744 new nebulae published in 1908. Finally, Stephane Javelle rediscovered it visually at the Nice Observatory on 12 Nov 1903 while measuring NGC 7814 and recorded it as #1468 in his third discovery list.

300/350mm - 13.1" (10/10/86): very faint, small, very elongated 3:1 SW-NE. Located just NW of a small isosceles triangle of mag 12-13 stars with side about 1' with the closest star 43" SE. Can just hold steadily with averted. Forms a pair with NGC 7814 10' N.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb