NGC 2915 is classified as an unusual Blue Compact Dwarf. A significant percentage of its mass is within an extended neutral hydrogen halo that extends to nearly 20'x12' and within a massive halo of dark matter.

A very faint globular, E3, lies 43' SSW. At 200x, three faint stars were resolved over a 1' low surface brightness hazy glow with no concentration. In addition two brighter field stars are situated at the outside edge of the glow. At 260x, a fourth superimposed star was glimpsed, though these are possibly line of sight stars and perhaps the cluster, itself, was unresolved. Although situated 43' SSW of NGC 2915 the precise position was pinned down moving 13' W of a mag 7.7 star using a 16" pair of mag 12/14 stars (situated at the midpoint of this line) as a reference.

John Herschel discovered NGC 2915 = h3174 on 31 Mar 1837 and logged "pF; pL; R; gbM; 45"." His position matches ESO 037-003 = PGC 26761.

600/800mm - 24" (4/10/08 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): at 260x appears moderately bright and large, elongated 5:3 NW-SE, ~1.0'x0.6'. Appears slightly brighter at the NW end. An easy pair of mag 12-13 stars (25" separation) lies 4.5' NW. Located 8.4' NE of a mag 8 star.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb