400/500mm - 17.5" (9/1/02): very faint, small, elongated ~E-W, 0.5'x0.3', low surface brightness. The previous month I mistook fainter MCG +09-26-052 located 12' NNW for this galaxy from the Sierra Buttes. In poorer conditions (haze from fires cut down transparency) I couldn't see MCG +09-26-052.

900/1200mm - 48" (5/15/12 and 4/21/17): at 488x, the "Tadpole Galaxy" appeared moderately to fairly bright, elongated 2:1 E-W, ~1.2'x0.7', contains a bright, elongated core (bar). The west end of the bar curves or bends slightly south (beginning of the southern spiral arm) and the east end curves slightly north (start of the northern spiral arm). The tidal plume, stretching 280,000 light years and captured spectacularly by the HST in 2002, was visible as a fairly thin, low surface brightness tail, extending east from the main body. It was faint, but clearly visible with averted vision angling east-northeast and doubling the overall length to ~2.3'. There seemed to be an extremely faint knot at the east tip. The portion of the plume further east was not visible. PGC 2502068 lies 2.1' WNW and MCG +09-26-054 is 4.2' SW.