Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 1181 = LM 1-83 (along with NGC 1180 = I-82) on 31 Dec 1885 with the 26" refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory. Leavenworth's generally poor positions are close enough here so the identification NGC 1180 = PGC 11435 and NGC 1181 = PGC 11427 is certain. For some reason Howe could not find these galaxies near Leavenworth's position but did find NGC 1150 and 1151 about 5 min of RA west of Leavenworth's positions and assumed they were NGC 1180 and 1181. Dreyer even added the comment "are they perhaps = 1150 and 1151?" But these are two different pairs, roughly where Leavenworth placed them. Because of Howe's error, RNGC claims NGC 1150 is identical to NGC 1180 and NGC 1151 is identical to NGC 1181.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/28/00): extremely faint, very small, slightly elongated E-W, 0.4'x0.2', requires averted. I was only able to detect the brighter central region and missed the extensions. NGC 1181 is the slightly fainter of a close (physical) pair with NGC 1180 2.4' NE. Located 2' WNW of a mag 12 star.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb