John Herschel discovered NGC 2381 = h3084 on 26 Dec 1834 and noted as "vF, vS, R. In a field full of stars." His position is just off the southwest side of ESO 088-010 = PGC 20694.

600/800mm - 24" (4/11/08 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 260x appeared moderately bright, fairly small, round, sharply concentrated with a very bright 25" core that increases to a stellar nucleus. The core is surrounded by a much fainter, fairly small halo, ~0.8' diameter. A mag 13 star lies 2' NE. ESO 088-008 = NGC 2369A lies 11' NW. This ring galaxy is the furthest south in a group including NGC 2369, NGC 2369A, NGC 2369B, IC 2200/2200A, NGC 2417.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb