Édouard Stephan discovered NGC 181 = St XIII-6 on 6 Oct 1883 with the 31" reflector at the Marseille Observatory, along with NGC 183 (originally discovered by Truman Safford) and 184. His position matches CGCG 500-055 = PGC 2287.

400/500mm - 17.5" (10/17/87): very faint, small, round, diffuse. First of three with NGC 183 2.7' NE. Located 10' N of 30 Andromedae (V = 4.4). Member of AGC 71.

600/800mm - 24" (9/15/12): fairly faint, fairly small, edge-on 4:1 NNW-SSE, 0.6'x0.15'. Located 2.7' SSW of NGC 183. Second brightest in a trio of NGCs with NGC 184 3.1' SW. A mag 12.4 is near the midpoint of NGC 181 and 184. This trio is apparently in the foreground of Abell Galaxy Cluster 71.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb