Frank Muller discovered NGC 3331 = LM 2-424 in 1886 and noted "mag 14.0, 0.8' dia, vlE 180°." His position is 0.4 min of RA west of ESO 501-72 = PGC 31743 and his position angle (N-S) is a good match.

A "corrected" position by Ormond Stone (repeated in the IC I Notes section) is 1.1 min of RA too far west! Herbert Howe's measured an accurate position in 1899-00 (repeated in the IC 2 Notes section).

400/500mm - 17.5" (4/21/01): faint, fairly small, elongated 4:3 ~N-S, 0.8'x0.6', weak concentration, no distinct core. The NGC position is 24 tsec too far west and this galaxy follows NGC 3335 situated 10' SW. Member of nearby group LGG 209 (6 galaxies). IC 625 (faint edge-on) 10' NW was not seen.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb