Francis Leavenworth discovered NGC 3431 = LM 2-428 on 5 Jan 1887 with the 26" refractor at the Leander-McCormick Observatory. His position and description (mag 15.0, 0.6'x0.2', E 130°, gbsbMN) matches MCG -03-28-014 = PGC 32531.

400/500mm - 18" (3/11/07): faint, fairly small, elongated 5:2 SW-NE, 0.6'x0.25', weak concentration. A mag 13 star lies 1' NE and a similar star 2.8' SSW. NGC 3409 lies 13' WSW while NGC 3420 is 21' SW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb