It can be found in the southern constellation of Musca (the Fly) with strong binoculars.

[2] It was described in Sky & Telescope as one of the finest dark nebulae—one that is "wonderful, winding, and very definite".

[3] It has also been called the Musca nebula and grouped as the Musca-Chamaeleonis Molecular Cloud.

[4] The nebula was catalogued by Aage Sandqvist, astronomer at Stockholm Observatory, in 1977.

[5] The name Dark Doodad was given to it by American amateur astronomer and writer Dennis di Cicco in 1986 upon seeing an image he took from Alice Springs in central Australia.