Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 3221 on 1 Jan 1862 and noted "eF, incredibly thin, 90" length, mag 10 star 4' south." His position is just off the north side of UGC 5601.

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/13/91): fairly faint, moderately large, edge-on 4:1 NNW-SSE, 3.0'x0.7', brighter middle but no nucleus. A mag 11 star is 4.6' S of center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb