MCG +04-27-026 is very faint, fairly small, elongated 3:2 N-S, 0.9'x0.6', very weak concentration. Larger of close pair with IC 2759 1.0' N but has a significantly lower surface brightness. Modern catalogues misidentify this galaxy as IC 2759. IC 2759 is faint, very small, round, 20" diameter, moderate surface brightness. Finally MCG +04-27-030 is extremely faint and small, 12" diameter. It's the faintest of five in HCG 51.

William Herschel discovered NGC 3651 = H III-335 = h870, along with NGC 3653, on 10 Apr 1785 (sweep 394) and recorded "Two, both vF and vS. The most south NGC 3653] is the faintest. I saw them both very well with 240. About 2 or 3' from each other." JH noted "F; R; gbM; the np of 2." His position is a good match with UGC 6388.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/11/96): this is the brightest member of the HCG 51 quintet. Fairly faint, fairly small, slightly elongated N-S, 1.0'x0.8', small brighter core. Forms a small isosceles triangle with NGC 3653 (51C) 1.4' SE and MCG +04-27-030 (51D) 1.0' E. MCG +04-27-026 (51B) lies 2.7' W and brighter IC 2759 (51E) is 1' N of 51B.

900/1200mm - 48" (4/18/15): NGC 3651 is the brightest member of the HCG 51 septet. At 488x, it appeared moderately to fairly bright, round, 0.6' diameter. It forms a merged double system with HCG 51F at the south edge. The companion is faint to fairly faint, very small, elongated 2"1 ~N-S, ~12"x6". The two galaxies were not fully resolved but there is a dip in brightness at the point they merge. NGC 3653 lies 1.5' SE.

HCG 51G, just 28" SE, is a faint, round, quasi-stellar knot under 10" diameter. MCG +04-27-030 = HCG 51D is 1' E and appeared fairly faint, small, round, 15" diameter, brighter nucleus. CGCG 126-040 = HCG 51B is 2.8' W and the largest in the septet. It appeared moderately bright, elongated 2:1 N-S, 0.8'x0.4', sharply concentrated with a small bright core. Most catalogues misidentify this galaxy as IC 2759, which lies 1' further NNW. IC 2759 = HCG 51E is also moderately bright but small, round, 18" diameter, sharply concentrated with a small bright core.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb