In a message dated 2/28/02, David Staples writes:
> 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.
Besides N3158, the other galaxies you mentioned were all visible in my old
13" but described as "very faint" or "extremely faint". N3151 has a V
magnitude of 13.8 and N3152 is even fainter at V = 14.2. I'd be surprised if
these were visible in a 8-inch, but you never know until you try. Usually,
people quote blue magnitudes (that's what you'll find in most sky-plotting
software) and these are a magnitude fainter (N3151 = 14.8B and N3152 = 15.2B).
> 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?
Your references are probably not giving V magnitudes as I mentioned above.
In fact, the new DSFG for the U2000 lists V = 14.1. That would translate
into a B magnitude of 15 to 15.3.
Steve