Lewis Swift discovered NGC 2978 = Sw. III-46 on 10 Mar 1886 to the south of NGC 2980. His RA was 16 seconds too large. Herbert Howe measured an accurate position in 1898 (repeated in the IC 2 notes). It seems odd that both William and John Herschel missed this galaxy while observing NGC 2980.

The Helwan observatory photographic description from 1935 reads "spiral with a pB almost stellar ncl and fairly distinct [arms]"

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/15/93): fairly faint, fairly small, round, even surface brightness. Situated among a group of 10 mag 13-14 stars and just west of a line connecting a mag 12.5 star 1.2' SSE and a mag 13 star 1.4' NE which have a separation of 2.1' N-S. Forms a pair with NGC 2980 8' N.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb