Lewis Swift found IC 1981 = Sw. XI-58 on 26 Dec 1897 at Echo Mountain in the San Gabriel mountains and recorded "eF, eS, lE, * close nf". His position is 37 seconds of RA west of ESO 482-029 = PGC 13520, though the identification is certain. The correct RA was reported in Robert Baker's 1933 "Catalogue of 985 Extragalactic Nebulae in a Region in Fornax and Eridanus". This galaxy was probably discovered by John Herschel in 1835, but his position for NGC 1412 = h2574 was 40' too far north (either a recording or copying error). So, NGC 1412 = IC 1981, both with poor positions.

Both NGC 1412 and IC 1981 were reported as not found in 1935 at the Helwan observatory on plates taken in 1927-31 (Bulletin 38). ESO and MCG use only the IC designation but both designations are given in NED, HyperLeda and SIMBAD. Included in my RNGC Corrections #6 and Corwin's notes.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/12/02): moderately bright, moderately large, elongated nearly 2:1 NW-SE, 1.3'x0.7', bright core. Situated in a group of three mag 11/12 stars with a mag 12 star 1.6' SE. Located 38' SE of NGC 1398 in northeast Fornax.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb