SDSS J121644.34+122450.5 is located 6.5' SW. This 18th magnitude galaxy is a superluminous spiral at 3 billion light years. It appeared extremely faint, very small, round, ~15". Definite with averted vision, though only seen ~25% of the time.

Arnold Schwassmann discovered IC 3099 = Sn. 235 on a plate taken with a 6" astrograph on 14 Sep 1900 at the Königstuhl Observatory in Heidelberg. Royal Frost called it "bM, ex. 1.5' at 170°" based on a plate taken at Arequipa.

900/1200mm - 48" (2/28/19): at 488x; almost moderately bright and large, edge-on 6:1 nearly N-S, at least 1.2'x0.2', brighter elongated core, patchy arms. A mag 15.8 star is close off the NE flank [30" from center]. Situated 7' SE of mag 9.0 HD 106785.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb