R.J. Mitchell discovered NGC 2988 on 19 Feb 1855 with LdR's 72" and recorded "The preceding one [NGC 2991] is double, its companion [NGC 2988] being close preceding; lE sp nf?"

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/15/93): extremely faint, very small, round, cannot hold with averted but definitely seen, possibly elongated ~N-S. Located just off the west side of NGC 2991.

600/800mm - 24" (4/13/18): at 375x; NGC 2988 appears as a small "spike" attached to the west side of the halo of NGC 2991 and extending to the southwest. It was very faint, small, edge-on 4:1 SW-NE, ~24"x6".

Notes by Steve Gottlieb