Johann Palisa discovered NGC 3071 on 10 Mar 1886 with the 12-inch refractor at Vienna University Observatory. His micrometric position in AN 2782 matches CGCG 153-008 = PGC 28825.

400/500mm - 18" (3/11/07): very faint, extremely small, round, 0.2' diameter (core region?), very faint stellar nucleus with direct vision. Located 33' SW of 5.4-magnitude 20 Leonis Majoris. Forms a pair with very compact CGCG 153-009 6.8' NE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb