Ormond Stone discovered NGC 2696 = LM 1-153 in 1886 with the 26" refractor at Leander McCormick Observatory and recorded as "mag 15.8, 0.2' dia, stellar nucleus." There is nothing near his rough position (nearest min of RA). Harold Corwin suggests this may be MCG -01-23-004, in which case Stone's RA would be 4 minutes too large (as often the case with L M observations, the dec is fairly accurate but the RA is very poor). So, this is an uncertain but very plausible identification. RNGC classifies the number as nonexistent.

400/500mm - 17.5" (2/1/03): faint, fairly small, round, 0.7' diameter, weak even concentration to center. Located 6' SSW of mag 8.7 SAO 136330. Due to a very poor position by Stone, this galaxy is not generally identified as NGC 2696 (4 tmin error in RA) is not plotted on U2000 (version 2) atlas. Listed at mag 16pg in the MCG, but does not appear that faint.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb