This was an area I observed from Dino last month. Here is my entry:
NGC3158 - Galaxy in group in Leo Minor. This is a wonderful field. I
counted 9 galaxies. NGC3158 is easily the brightest of the group and stands
alone just NNW of a chain of several other galaxies running E/W in close
proximity. Others observed were MGC7-21-19, NGC3159, NGC3161, NGC3163 (four
in a line), NGC3151, NGC3150, NGC3152 and NGC3160. The seeing had softened
so I did not try for the dimmer ones in the
area. Check this out (15 arcminutes wide/tall):
At 09:32 AM 2/28/2002 -0800, you wrote:
>Steve,
>
>Taking a look at your list it looks like NGC3158, NGC3151, NGC3152, and
>maybe just barely NGC3163 might be visible in my C8, ranging from a SB of
>13.5 down to 14 for 3163. With good conditions could I expect to see these
>objects or are they too small to be seen despite being in a range of
>magnitudes I have observed with my scope.
>
>Also, every reference I can find for NGC 3160 list it as an apparent mag of
>15 to 15.3 yet you have it listed as V=14.4 and SB=12.8. Are my references
>wrong?
>
>Cheers,
>
>Dave
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Steve Gottlieb [mailto:sgottlieb@No-Spam]
>Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 10:43 PM
>To: sf-bay-tac@No-Spam
>Cc: tac-sac@No-Spam
>Subject: [TAC] NGC 3158 observing challenge
>
>
>I haven't thrown out a list of observing challenges in awhile, so here's a
>neat galaxy cluster for 12-inch and larger scopes, mostly within 40' of NGC
>3158 in Leo Minor. I first ran across this group sometime in the early or
>mid '80's after it was featured in a Deep Sky Wonders column by Scotty
>Houston and found most of the objects with a 13.1" Odyssey I. I worked
>through the cluster using a photo of the cluster (before the days of
>computerized sky charts)
>
>William Herschel discovered the brightest two members of the group (NGC 3158
>and NGC 3163), but the fainter members were found by Bigourdan using a
>16-inch refractor at the Paris Observatory or using Lord Rosse's 72-inch at
>Birr Castle. Below the NGC listings are even fainter galaxies for 16-inch
>or
>larger scopes. Finally, there is Shakhbazin 49 in the vicinity -- a compact
>cluster of extremely compact galaxies. Good luck!
>Steve
>
>NGC 3150 = MCG +07-21-017 = CGCG 211-019
>10 13 26.3 +38 39 27
>V = 14.5; Size 0.8x0.6
>
>17.5": faint, small, slightly lower surface brightness than N3151 2.3' S. A
>mag 12 star is 2.0' WSW and a mag 14 star is 1.8' NNW.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3151 = MCG +07-21-018 = CGCG 211-020
>10 13 29.1 +38 37 11
>V = 13.8; Size 0.8x0.4; SB = 13.5; PA = 170d
>
>17.5": fairly faint, very small, weak concentration. A mag 12 star is 2.0'
>NE. Forms a pair with N3150 2.3' N. An extremely faint galaxy is 55" east
>of center (2MASXi J1013337+383705).
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3152 = MCG +07-21-018A = CGCG 211-021
>10 13 34.1 +38 50 35
>V = 14.2; Size 1.0x0.6; SB = 13.5; PA = 80d
>
>17.5": faint, small, round. A mag 15 star is off the NE edge 0.8' from
>center. N3158 lies 5.5' SE and N3160 4.1' E.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3158 = U05511 = MCG +07-21-020 = CGCG 211-022
>10 13 50.5 +38 45 53
>V = 11.9; Size 2.0x1.8; SB = 13.3
>
>17.5": fairly bright, irregular round or slightly elongated, small bright
>core. Brightest in N3158 group with N3159 6.7' SSE, N3160 4.7' N and N3152
>5.5' NW.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3159 = MCG +07-21-021 = CGCG 211-023 = NPM1G +38.0190
>10 13 52.8 +38 39 16
>V = 13.6; Size 0.8x0.7
>
>17.5": fairly faint, small, irregularly round, small bright core. This
>member of the N3158 group is the first of three with N3161 1.2' E and N3163
>2.7' E. N3158 lies 6.7' NNW.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3160 = U05513 = MCG +07-21-023 = CGCG 211-024
>10 13 55.1 +38 50 34
>V = 14.4; Size 1.3x0.2; SB = 12.8; PA = 140d
>
>17.5": faint, small, edge-on NW-SE. Member of N3158 group with N3158 4.7'
>S.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3161 = MCG +07-21-022 = CGCG 211-025 = NPM1G +38.0191
>10 13 59.2 +38 39 26
>V = 13.5; Size 0.8x0.5; SB = 14.8; PA = 10d
>
>17.5": this member in the N3158 group is small and the faintest of three
>with
>close companions N3159 1.2' W and N3163 1.5' E. Even surface brightness and
>visible with direct vision.
>************************************************************
>
>NGC 3163 = U05517 = MCG +07-21-026 = CGCG 211-027
>10 14 07.1 +38 39 09
>V = 13.3; Size 1.1x1.1
>
>17.5": fairly faint, small, round, bright core. Brightest and third of
>three
>with N3161 1.5' W and N3159 2.7' W.
>*************************************************************
>MCG +07-21-030 = CGCG 211-030 = NPM1G +39.0230
>10 14 45.3 +38 58 51
>Size 0.6x0.6
>
>17.5": very faint, very small, round, 25" diameter. Picked up while
>starhopping to Shkh 49 located 7.4' SE. Located 1.2' NW of a mag 11 star
>about 17' NW of N3158.
>************************************************************
>
>2MASXi J1013337+383705
>10 13 33.8 +38 37 06
>
>17.5": extremely faint and small. Just visible for moments as a threshold
>knot 0.9' E of N3151. A faint star is at the ENE edge. Located in the
>N3158
>group. Verified on POSS.
>************************************************************
>
>2MASXi J1013394+384443
>10 13 39.5 +38 44 44
>
>17.5": extremely faint, stellar, estimate V = 16. This anonymous galaxy is
>a
>member of the N3158 group and is located just N of a faint star which is 3'
>SW of N3158. Verified on POSS.
>************************************************************
>
>MCG +07-21-019
>10 13 47.9 +38 40 32
>V = 14.1; Size 0.5x0.4; SB = 12.2
>
>17.5": extremely faint, at visual threshold. Appears similar to the N3159,
>N3161, N3163 trio in size but very low surface brightness. Located 2' NW of
>N3159 in the N3158 group.
>************************************************************
>
>Shakhbazin 49
>10 15 19.0 +38 55 28
>
>17.5": this challenging compact group was a marginal object at 220x-280x.
>At
>220x an extremely faint knot, perhaps 15", was glimpsed several times with
>averted vision, using a finder chart. At 280x, there was a strong
>impression
>of two very close 16th+ magnitude stellar objects, though could not view
>both
>objects simultaneously. Located 1.5' NE of a mag 10.5 star and 20' NW of
>the
>N3158 cluster.
>************************************************************