John Herschel discovered NGC 87 = h2316 (along with NGC 88, 89, 92) on 30 Sep 1834 and recorded "eF, vS, R, gbM, first of four." The next sweep two nights later he logged "eF; S; R. The first of a group of four nebulae."

600/800mm - 30" (11/4/10 - Coonabarabran, 429x): fairly faint, fairly small, irregularly round, 0.7' diameter, low even surface brightness. Westernmost and second faintest in the compact Phoenix Quartet (Rose 34) with NGC 88 1.5' SE, NGC 89 2.8' SE and NGC 92 2.9' E. The arrangement is distinctive with the three brighter galaxies (NGC 87/89/92) arranged in an equilateral triangle and NGC 88 at the center, forming a "Y" or propeller shape. ESO 194-13 lies 12' ENE of the quartet.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb