Per Dreyer, IC 3250 (Wolf list IV #72, 1860 RA 12 16 16, NPD 63 35.7) is "most extremely faint, small, round, brighter middle", and one of a "chain of about 18 nebulae south to north", including IC 3248, 3249 and 3251. The position precesses to RA 12 23 18.4, Dec +25 37 42, just east of the star listed above, and there is nothing else nearby, so the identification is certain.

Per Dreyer, IC 3251 (Wolf list IV #73, 1860 RA 12 16 17, NPD 63 34.2) is "most extremely faint, small, round, brighter middle", and one of a "chain of about 18 nebulae south to north", including IC 3248, 3249 and 3250. The position precesses to RA 12 23 19.4, Dec +25 39 12, just east of the star listed above, and there is nothing else nearby, so the identification is reasonably certain. The main concern about the identification seems to be that the star might be too faint for Wolf to have noticed, and as a result IC 3251 is often listed as nonexistent; but the offset between his position and the star is the same as for the nearby IC 3250 (which see for an image), so it seems more likely than not that he did see it.

Per Dreyer, IC 3251 (Wolf list IV #74, 1860 RA 12 16 24, NPD 60 36.3) is "faint, small, irregular figure, possible cluster". The position precesses to RA 12 23 25.3, Dec +28 37 06, close to the brighter star listed above, but in between it and the fainter star to its west. As a result some references list the brighter star as the IC object, others list it as the pair, and some (taking their lead from Dreyer, rather than the appearance of the region) list it as a group or cluster. In the image below the label is directly above the pair of stars, and it is left to the reader to decide whether it makes any difference how the entry is defined.

Based on a recessional velocity of 2705 km/sec, IC 3253 is about 125 million light years away, in reasonable agreement with redshift-independent distance estimates ranging from 90 to 250 million light years. Given that and its apparent size of 2.6 by 1.1 arcmin, it is about 95 thousand light years across.

Per Dreyer, IC 3254 (Frost #884, 1860 RA 12 16 28, NPD 69 46) is "bright, small, round, planetary". The position precesses to RA 12 23 32.4, Dec +19 27 24, a couple of arcmin north-northeast of NGC 4336 (which see for anything else), and nearly on top of a 14th-magnitude star. Corwin points out that since Frost's description hardly fits the galaxy, his observation may have referred to the star; but adds that when Adelaide Ames examined the same plate nearly thirty years later she equated the IC object with NGC 4336, and because of her skill at such work her identification has been generally accepted ever since.

Based on a recessional velocity of 6465 km/sec, IC 3255 is about 300 million light years away. Given that and its apparent size of 0.65 by 0.45 arcmin, it is about 55 thousand light years across. Its appearance suggests a possible galactic collision or its aftermath. It is listed as a member (VCC 649) of the Virgo Cluster, but given its distance is far beyond the Cluster.

Per Dreyer, IC 3256 (Bigourdan #291, 1860 RA 12 16 28, NPD 82 09) is "a 12th magnitude star in a small nebula (possibly = III 95 or 96)", the reference to Herschel's observations meaning that Dreyer thought it might be the same as NGC 4341 or 4342 (his indecision about which NGC object might correspond to IC 3256 was due to confusion about the correct identification of those objects, for which see their entries). The position precesses to RA 12 23 36.1, Dec +07 04 24, a little over an arcmin northwest of NGC 4342, and there is nothing else nearby, so it appears that IC 3256 is indeed the same as that NGC object (which see for anything else).

Per Dreyer, IC 3257 (Bigourdan #292, 1860 RA 12 16 32, NPD 81 57) is "extremely faint". The position precesses to RA 12 23 40.1, Dec +07 16 24, but there is nothing there or anywhere near there. Per Corwin, Bigourdan only recorded this object in 1895, and in 1907 said "I can once in a while see this extremely faint object", without making any other measurements. So Bigourdan may have seen something and recorded an erroneous position on the only occasion he bothered to measure it (in which case it is 'lost'), or he occasionally let his effort to observe something outrun his ability to actually do it (in which case it is nonexistent).

Apparent size 1.9 by 1.3 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 664) of the Virgo Cluster.

Per Dreyer, IC 3259 (Bigourdan #293, Schwassmann #16, 1860 RA 12 16 40, NPD 82 02.1) is "faint, considerably small, round, brighter middle". The position precesses to RA 12 23 48.1, Dec +07 11 18, right on the galaxy, so the identification is certain. Apparent size 1.7 by 0.9 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 667) of the Virgo Cluster.

Per Dreyer, IC 3260 (Bigourdan #294, Schwassmann #17, 1860 RA 12 16 45, NPD 82 07.0) is "faint, considerably small, round, brighter middle". The position precesses to RA 12 23 53.1, Dec +07 06 24, right on the galaxy, so the identification is certain. The duplicate entry is due to considerable confusion about the NGC objects, for which (and anything else) see NGC 4341.

Per Dreyer, IC 3261 (Frost #886, 1860 RA 12 16 46, NPD 77 45) is "pretty small, faint star in middle, spiral, doubtful". The position precesses to RA 12 23 52.8, Dec +11 28 24, about an arcmin south of the galaxy listed above, which has a relatively bright starlike center, so the identification seems reasonably certain. However, there is also a larger but much lower surface brightness galaxy (PGC 40289) to the northeast of PGC 169197 which is sometimes identified as this IC object. Per Corwin, the brighter center and smaller positional error for PGC 169197 makes it the more likely candidate for the IC entry, and some references follow his opinion; but Frost's original notes include a diameter estimate of 1 arcmin which better fits the larger galaxy, so some references list it as the IC object. Corwin notes that viewing the original plate might decide the question (for instance, the low surface brightness of the larger galaxy might have made it undetectable, in which case it would be a non-starter), but apparently that has not been possible to date. I presume that PGC 169197 is Frost's #886, but because the other galaxy is sometimes listed as IC 3261, it is discussed immediately below. The apparent size of PGC 169197 is about 0.5 by 0.2 arcmin.

A diffuse galaxy of uncertain type. Apparent size 0.9 by 0.4 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 679) of the Virgo Cluster. See IC 3261 for images and a discussion of why PGC 40289 is sometimes identified as that object.

Apparent size 0.8 by 0.4 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.7 by 0.6 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.3 by 0.25 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3265 (Schwassmann #48, 1860 RA 12 16 51, NPD 81 25.2) is "pretty faint, small, nuclear, possibly a star". The position precesses to RA 12 23 58.9, Dec +07 48 12, right on the star listed above, so the identification is certain. Corwin notes that Adelaide Ames identified the star as IC 3265 in 1930, so the matter should have been settled fairly early on. But there is occasional confusion about the identification due to the CGCG erroneously posting "I3265 = I3266 (= N4353?)", thereby identifying IC 3265 as NGC 4353 (the galaxy southeast of the star); hence the warning in the title of this entry.

Per Dreyer, IC 3266 (Schwassmann #49, 1860 RA 12 16 52, NPD 81 26.3) is "considerably faint, small, binuclear, possibly a star". The position precesses to RA 12 23 59.9, Dec +07 47 07, right on the galaxy, so the identification is certain. The duplicate entry is due to Peters' position being relatively poor, so that Schwassmann and Dreyer failed to notice the possible connection with NGC 4353 (which see for anything else). Per Corwin, Adelaide Ames noted the identity with NGC 4353 while preparing her Virgo Cluster catalog in 1930; however, CGCG muddied the celestial waters by erroneously posting "I3265 = I3266 (= N4353?)", I3265 being the star listed as IC 3265 (as discussed at that entry).

Apparent size 1.2 by 1.2 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 697) of the Virgo Cluster.

Historical Identification:
Discovery Notes: Voigt's discovery was one of ten nebulae he discovered between March and August of 1865; but they were only noted in his observing records, and were not published until 1987, so Dreyer had no knowledge of his observation.
Physical Information: Apparent size 0.9 by 0.8 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 699) of the Virgo Cluster.

Based on a recessional velocity of 27955 km/sec, a straightforward calculation indicates that IC 3269 is about 1300 million light years away. However, for objects at such distances we should take into account the Universal expansion during the time it took their light to reach us. Doing that shows that the galaxy was about 1170 million light years away at the time the light by which we see it was emitted, about 1220 million years ago (the difference between the two numbers being due to the expansion of the intervening space during the light-travel time). Given that and the galaxy's apparent size of 0.65 by 0.35 arcmin, it is about 220 thousand light years across.

Apparent size 0.55 by 0.4 arcmin.

Apparent size 1.0 by 1.0 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 712) of the Virgo Cluster.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin.

Per Corwin, Herschel and Schwassmann's positions are good, but Schwassmann and Dreyer failed to notice the connection, hence a duplicate entry. Ames was the first to note the duplication, in her 1930 Virgo Cluster catalog. (See NGC 4356 for anything else.)

As noted above, sometimes incorrectly called NGC 4360B. Apparent size 0.7 by 0.65 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 715) of the Virgo Cluster.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.3 by 0.2 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.3 by 0.2 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3278 (Wolf list IV #83, 1860 RA 12 17 14, NPD 61 48.0) is "very faint, small, irregular figure, nucleus". The position precesses to RA 12 24 15.4, Dec +27 25 25, on the northeastern edge of a triplet of faint galaxies. LEDA assigns the IC entry to the southernmost of those galaxies, 16th-magnitude PGC 40305, but NED treats the triplet as the IC entry. It is hard to imagine Wolf noticing the one galaxy and not the others, and between that, his position and the reference to an "irregular figure" I feel that IC 3278 must be the entire grouping, so I have adopted the NED designations. The triplet is at least partially a physical grouping as well, as the northern pair of galaxies have similar recessional velocities (in excess of 28000 km/sec), implying a common distance of more than a billion light years; but whether the southern galaxy is associated with the others is unknown, as nothing is known about its radial velocity or distance. The apparent size for PGC 40345 is 0.3 by 0.2 arcmin, for IC 3278 NED02, 0.2 by 0.15 arcmin, and for IC 3278 NED01, 0.25 by 0.1 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3279 (Schwassmann #242, 1860 RA 12 17 18, NPD 76 22.3) is pretty faint, small, perhaps 2 stars". The position precesses to RA 12 24 24.3, Dec +12 51 07, on the brighter (eastern) member of the pair of stars listed above. Corwin says Schwassmann's original notes specified that the eastern star was a magnitude brighter, and although his estimates were off a couple of magnitudes, between the position and the relative brightness of the stars, the identity seems certain.

Apparent size 0.9 by 0.7 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 729) of the Virgo Cluster.

Per Dreyer, IC 3281 (Schwassmann #51, 1860 RA 12 17 20, NPD 81 24.1) is "pretty bright, pretty small, nuclear, stellar". The position precesses to RA 12 24 27.8, Dec +07 49 19, but there is nothing there. Per Corwin, Schwassmann measured the "object" on his plate twice, describing it as "pretty bright, considerably small, round, nuclear, like a star" on one occasion, and "considerably bright, pretty small, round, like 10th or 9th magnitude star, diameter 25 arcsec", so there was definitely something on the plate, but there is nothing remotely near that brightness (or even a couple of magnitudes fainter) anywhere near his position; so odds are that the object was a plate defect, and IC 3281 represents a nonexistent object.

Per Dreyer, IC 3282 (Wolf list IV #84, 1860 RA 12 17 26, NPD 63 33.2) is "extremely faint, very small, round, brighter middle". The position precesses to RA 12 24 27.9, Dec +25 40 13, on the star listed above, so the identification seems certain.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.3 arcmin. (Listed in NED as LEDA 3788276.)

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.5 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3285 (Wolf list IV #86, 1860 RA 12 17 32, NPD 64 21.8) is "very faint, very small, round, bright middle, in diffuse nebula extended 25°". The position precesses to RA 12 24 34.2, Dec +24 51 37, just northeast of the star listed above, and there is nothing else nearby, so the identification is certain.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.3 arcmin.

Based on a recessional velocity of 16300 km/sec, a straightforward calculation indicates that IC 3287 is about 760 million light years away. However, for objects at such distances we should take into account the Universal expansion during the time it took their light to reach us. Doing that shows that the galaxy was about 710 million light years away at the time the light by which we see it was emitted, about 730 million years ago (the difference between the two numbers being due to the expansion of the intervening space during the light-travel time). Given that and its 0.33 by 0.25 arcmin apparent size, it is about 70 thousand light years across.

Apparent size 0.3 by 0.2 arcmin.

Apparent size 1.0 by 1.0 arcmin.

Apparent size 2.0 by 1.4 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.2 arcmin.

Apparent size 0.5 by 0.4 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 751) of the Virgo Cluster.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.3 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3294 (Wolf list IV #90, 1860 RA 12 17 48, NPD 63 37.5) is "extremely faint, considerably small, diffuse". The position precesses to RA 12 24 49.8, Dec +25 35 56, on the northern edge of the galaxy, so the identification is certain. (Note: In lower-resolution images this object appears nearly stellar, so some references list it as a star.) Apparent size 0.3 by 0.2 arcmin.

Per Corwin, IC 3295 is a plate defect on Wolf's original plate, clearly visible on a print of the plate, so it represents a nonexistent object.

Apparent size 0.55 by 0.35 arcmin.

Per Dreyer, IC 3297 (Wolf list IV #93, 1860 RA 12 17 57, NPD 62 27.3) is "very faint, pretty large, round, brighter middle, spiral". The position precesses to RA 12 24 58.3, Dec +26 46 08, just southeast of the star listed above, and the identification is considered reasonably certain. Per Corwin, the star is clearly visible on a print of the plate, but no mention is made of the difference between the description and the star's appearance, so it is presumably considered of little importance (and in any event cannot be due to a plate defect).

Apparent size 1.1 by 0.3 arcmin. Listed as a member (VCC 768) of the Virgo Cluster.

Apparent size 0.4 by 0.2 arcmin.