Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3200 (Holden (#1), 1860 RA 10 11 51, NPD 107 17) is "pretty bright, extended 160°, brighter middle and nucleus".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.2 by 1.3? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3201 (= GC 2068 = JH 3238, Dunlop #445, 1860 RA 10 11 53, NPD 135 42.1) is a "globular cluster, very large, irregularly round, a little compressed middle, stars from 13th to 16th magnitude".
Discovery Notes: The date of discovery is usually given as May 28, 1826; but per Steinicke, Dunlop actually observed the cluster on May 1, as shown above.
Physical Information: NGC 3201 is about 16 thousand light years away. Given that and an apparent size of about 18 arcmin, it is about 80 light years across. It is about 10 billion years old, and has a mass of about 250 thousand Solar masses. Unlike most globular clusters, it has an "inhomogeneous" distribution of stars, with redder, cooler stars concentrated toward the center, and brighter, hotter stars more widely distributed throughout the cluster. The cluster has a "peculiar velocity" (its motion relative to the center of the galaxy) of about 240 km/sec, which is higher than that of almost all other Milky Way globulars; but that is still low enough that it is gravitationally bound to the galaxy.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3202 (= GC 2069 = JH 696 = WH II 720, 1860 RA 10 12 05, NPD 46 18.7) is "considerably faint, small, round, very gradually brighter middle, 1st of 3", the others being NGC 3205 and 3207.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.2 by 0.8? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3203 (= GC 2070 = JH 3240, 1860 RA 10 12 06, NPD 116 00.3) is "pretty bright, small, considerably extended, gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.8 by 0.6? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3204 (= GC 2071 = JH 698, 1860 RA 10 12 13, NPD 61 28.9) is "extremely faint, pretty large, gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.3 by 0.9? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3205 (= GC 2072 = JH 699 = WH II 721, 1860 RA 10 12 22, NPD 46 20.8) is "considerably faint, small, round, very gradually brighter middle, 2nd of 3", the others being NGC 3202 and 3207.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.4 by 1.1? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3206 (= GC 2073 = JH 697 = WH I 266, 1860 RA 10 12 31, NPD 32 22.1) is "pretty bright, considerably large, extended, very gradually little brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.9 by 1.9? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3207 (= GC 2074 = JH 700 = WH II 722, 1860 RA 10 12 33, NPD 46 18.8) is "considerably faint, small, round, stellar, 3rd of 3", the others being NGC 3202 and 3205.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.3 by 0.8? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3208 (Ormond Stone list I (#171), 1860 RA 10 12 35, NPD 115 07.0) is "extremely faint, pretty large, irregularly round, gradually brighter middle". The second IC lists a corrected RA (per Howe) of 10 13 10.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.8 by 1.6? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3209 (= GC 2075 = JH 701, 1860 RA 10 12 47, NPD 63 47.8) is "faint, small, round, has a star".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.3 by 1.1? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3210 (= GC 2077 = WH III 979 (= HON (#6)), 1860 RA 10 12 10±, NPD 09 27) is "stellar, 1st of 3 in line, 1 arcmin apart", the others being NGC 3212 (which see for an image) and 3215. The position precesses to RA 10 26 59.6, Dec +79 50 39, about (3 arcmin?) west northwest of the pair of stars listed above, but the description makes the identification certain.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3211 (= GC 2076 = JH 3242, 1860 RA 10 13 18, NPD 151 58.6) is a "planetary = a 10th magnitude star, round, among 150 stars".
PGC Designation Note: For purposes of completeness, LEDA assigns a PGC designation to this object even though it isn't a galaxy; but a search of the database for that designation returns no result, so it is shown in quotes.
Physical Information: Apparent size 0.32? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3212 (= GC 2078 = WH III 980 (= HON (#7)), d'Arrest, 1860 RA 10 13 30, NPD 09 27.7) is "very faint, small, 2nd of 3", the others being NGC 3210 and 3215.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.5 by 1.1? arcmin. Used by the Arp Atlas as an example of a galaxy with narrow filaments. Probably interacting with NGC 3215, as a result of which that galaxy is usually included in the Arp designation.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3213 (= Stephan list XIII (#58), 1860 RA 10 13 38, NPD 69 38.4) is "very faint, very small, round, mottled but not resolved".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.0 by 0.8? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3214 (= GC 5525, Copeland (with Lord Rosse's telescope), 1860 RA 10 13 49, NPD 32 15.4) is "considerably bright, very small, round, suddenly brighter middle, 5 arcmin to west of III 911", the latter object being NGC 3220, which lies within the same field of view.
Physical Information: Apparent size 0.7 by 0.3? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3215 (= GC 2079 = WH III 981 (= HON (#8)), d'Arrest, 1860 RA 10 13 51, NPD 09 28.1) is "very faint, small, 3rd of 3", the others being NGC 3210 and 3212. (Per NED, NGC 3215 is misidentified as NGC 3212 in the Arp and Vorontsov-Velyaminov catalogs.)
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.1 by 0.9 arcmin. Probably interacting with NGC 3212, as a result of which NGC 3215 is usually included in the Arp designation for the other galaxy.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3216 (= GC 2080 = JH 702 = WH III 330, 1860 RA 10 13 55, NPD 65 21.9) is "very faint, pretty small, round, brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.3 by 1.0? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3217 (Todd (#29), 1860 RA 10 14, NPD 78 24) is a "very faint disc".
Physical Information: Apparent size 0.55 by 0.35 arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3218 (= GC 2081 = WH I 283, 1860 RA 10 14 23, NPD 14 37.9) is "considerably bright, considerably large, extremely mottled but not resolved (place very questionable)". The remark about the place being very questionable is presumably related to a note at the end of the NGC stating "3218: (WH) I 283. Not found by d'Arrest. See (NGC) 2977". The note for NGC 2977 states (among other things) "The places of all the nebulae observed on April 2, 1801..." (a list of the nebulae is omitted here, but given here) "...are affected by some large error. They were all compared with one star only, which was assumed to be..." the inference being that the star was incorrectly identified, and the positions are therefore "very questionable". As it turned out the problem was that (as discussed here), Herschel misaligned his telescope by 7 degrees relative to the meridian on the night in question, causing all the calculations based on the assumption that it was aligned with the meridian to be incorrect. Dreyer's 1912 revision of the NGC based on his reassessment of William Herschel's papers resolved the problem by including the notes "3183 is = I 283", and "3218 to be struck out (= 3183)".
Physical Information: Given the duplicate listing, see NGC 3183 for anything else.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3219 (Stephan list XII (#38), 1860 RA 10 14 23, NPD 50 43.0) is "extremely faint, small, round, a little brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 0.8 by 0.5? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3220 (= GC 2082 = WH III 911, 1860 RA 10 14 26, NPD 32 15.9) is "pretty faint, considerably large, extended 92°, 9th magnitude star 9.5 arcmin to east".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.45 by 0.6 arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3221 (= GC 2083, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 10 14 39, NPD 67 42.2) is "extremely faint, much extended, with ray".
Physical Information: Apparent size 3.1 by 0.7? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3222 (= GC 2084, Winnecke 1855, 1860 RA 10 14 55, NPD 69 24.7) is "faint, a little brighter middle, partially resolved with some stars seen (per Schultz, binuclear), Auwers 27".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.2 by 1.0? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3223 (= GC 2085 = JH 3243, 1860 RA 10 15 21, NPD 123 33.0) is "pretty bright, very large, very little extended, pretty suddenly a little brighter middle and nucleus".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.1 by 2.7? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3224 (= GC 2086 = JH 3244, 1860 RA 10 15 28, NPD 123 59.5) is "very faint, pretty small, round, very gradually much brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.9 by 1.5? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3225 (= GC 2087 = JH 703 = WH II 882, 1860 RA 10 15 43, NPD 31 09.3) is "considerably faint, pretty large, a little extended, very gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.0 by 1.0? arcmin.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3226 (= GC 2088 = WH II 28, d'Arrest, Schultz, 1860 RA 10 15 47, NPD 69 23.8) is "pretty bright, considerably large, round, double nebula (with 3227), separation 138 arcsec at position angle 159°".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.8 by 2.0 arcmin?
Usage By The Arp Atlas: NGC 3226 is used by the Arp Atlas as an example of a spiral galaxy (NGC 3227) with an elliptical companion (NGC 3226), with the note "Comp. on edge of large, very faint loop extending opposite galaxy."
Classification Note: Used by the de Vaucouleurs Atlas of Galaxy Types as an example of type E1. Error Note: The de Vaucouleurs Atlas website states that its image of this and its companion, NGC 3227, is aligned with North to the left and East down. This is incorrect. The plate shows North on the right and East up.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3227 (= GC 2089 = WH II 29, d'Arrest, Schultz, 1860 RA 10 15 51, NPD 69 25.8) is "pretty bright, considerably large, round, double nebula (with 3226), separation 138 arcsec at position angle 159°".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.1 by 3.9 arcmin?
Usage By The Arp Atlas: NGC 3227 is used by the Arp Atlas as an example of a spiral galaxy with an elliptical companion (NGC 3226), with the note "Comp. on edge of large, very faint loop extending opposite galaxy."
Classification Note: Used by the de Vaucouleurs Atlas of Galaxy Types as an example of type SAB(s)a pec . Error Note: The de Vaucouleurs Atlas website states that its image of this and its companion, NGC 3226, is aligned with North to the left and East down. This is incorrect. The plate shows North on the right and East up.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3228 (= GC 2090 = JH 3245, Lacaille II 7, Dunlop 386, 1860 RA 10 16 11, NPD 141 01.0) is a "cluster, nine large and a few small stars".
Physical Information: Apparent size 5.0 arcmin? (Note: Although there are obviously other bright stars in the region, the description indicates that only the stars near the center of the image below belong to Dunlop's grouping.)

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3229 (= GC 5068, S Coolidge (#14, HN16), 1860 RA 20 16 14, NPD 89 13.8) is "faint". The 20 hours of RA is an obvious misprint (though not obvious enough to have been noticed by Dreyer, even in later corrections), all other NGC listings in the same range being at 10 hours, and does not correspond to the position (1900 RA 10 18.3, Dec +00 34) in the original Harvard report. That position precesses to RA 10 23 25.7, Dec +00 03 40, only 0.4 arcmin southeast of the stars listed above (the position is that of the brightest star in the triple), and there is nothing else nearby (either nebular or stellar) bright enough for Coolidge to have noticed, so the identification is certain.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3230 (= GC 2091 = JH 705, 1860 RA 10 16 16, NPD 76 44.4) is "pretty faint, pretty small, suddenly brighter middle equal to a 14th magnitude star, 9th to 10th magnitude star 19 arcsec to south".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.3 by 1.1 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3231 (= GC 2092 = JH 704, 1860 RA 10 16 26, NPD 22 29.1) is a "cluster, considerably large, poor, a little compressed, stars from 10th to 12th magnitude".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.0 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3232 (= GC 2093, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 10 16 33, NPD 61 16.7) is "extremely faint, 11th magnitude star 150 arcsec to west and a little south, preceding (western) of 2," the other being NGC 3235. The position precesses to RA 10 24 25.8, Dec +28 00 52, about 0.95 arcmin south-southeast of the pair of galaxies listed above, the description fits and the star to the southwest makes the identification certain.
Discovery Note: Since even images obtained in the 1900's only showed the pair as a single object, d'Arrest must have also seen it as a single object (as shown by a lack of any mention by him of any other possibility), so NGC 3232 must consist of both galaxies.
Multiple Designation Errors: In standard searches, NED lists each of the two galaxies as both PGC 30508 and PGC 3080163, and assigns the same data to both of them (apparently treating them as a single object, instead of as a pair, despite a note stating "This is a superposed (merging?) pair of galaxies"). LEDA also assigns the same data to each galaxy, and although it treats them as having separate PGC designations, and gives correct relative coordinates for each member of the pair, its online illustrations show the brighter northern member as PGC 3080163 and the fainter southern one as PGC 30508, which is obviously backwards. (The close-up image below shows the correct designations.)
 SIMBAD and NED incorrectly assign MCG +05-25-005 to the eastern of the two faint galaxies to the north of NGC 3232, which is PGC 30509; and since MCG +05-25-005 is correctly assigned to PGC 3080163 by LEDA, but LEDA incorrectly assigns that PGC designation to the northern member of NGC 3232, correct data for the northern galaxy (which should be listed as PGC 30508) requires an NED search for ECO 8556 (thanks to Donald Pelletier for that information, in a note stating that even NASA is aware of the mess that NED has made of things and may try to do something about it).
 Using NED searches for ECO 8556 for the northern component of NGC 3232 and MCG +05-25-004 for the southern component, a look at their images shows that NED also incorrectly assigns PGC 30508 to the fainter southern component, and various mostly incorrect identifications to the brighter northern component, which must be the actual PGC 30508.
Physical Information: The recessional velocity of the northern component relative to the Cosmic Microwave Background is 6560 km/sec, while that of the southern one is 6610 km/sec. Given their similar radial velocities the two galaxies are certainly at about the same distance from us, are probably companions, and although there are is no extreme distortion of the sort often seen with interacting or colliding galaxies, they do appear to share a common "halo", so they may well be involved in a gravitational interaction that will eventually result in their merger. Based on their average recessional velocity of about 6585 km/sec (and H₀ = 70 km/sec/Mpc), a straightforward calculation indicates that the pair is about 305 to 310 million light years away. Given that and PGC 30508's apparent size of about 0.55 by 0.45 arcmin, and PGC 3080163's apparent size of about 0.55 by 0.3 arcmin (both values from the images below), each galaxy is about 50 thousand light years across; and the 0.65 by 0.55 arcmin apparent size of their (shared?) outer regions corresponds to about 55 to 60 thousand light years.
Apparent "Companions": The two faint galaxies to the north of NGC 3232 have nearly identical recessional velocities and are probably a physical pair, but they are not related to NGC 3232, and are simply far more distant background galaxies, so they are not discussed on this page; but the links provided below the 12 arcmin wide image lead to a discussion of them.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3233 (Ormond Stone list I (#172), 1860 RA 10 16 35, NPD 111 32.9) is "extremely faint, pretty large, irregular figure, stellar nucleus". The second IC lists a corrected RA (per Howe) of 10 15 18.
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.5 by 2.3 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3234 (= GC 2094 = JH 706, 1860 RA 10 17 05, NPD 62 16.1) is "pretty bright, pretty small, round, pretty suddenly bright middle (perhaps = 2095)", the query at the end meaning that Dreyer thought it might be the same as NGC 3235.
(Note to self: should include a discussion of the note at the end of the NGC here, or in Discovery Notes)
The first IC has the correction "3234 is not = 3235; both seen by Denning". This makes the presumed modern equivalence of the two listings seem strange; however Corwin points out that there is nothing at NGC 3234's supposed location, that the difference of exactly 1 degree in declination between it and NGC 3235 suggests a typographical error in Herschel's position, and feels that the two listings must represent the same object. Of course that leaves the question of what Denning saw, leading to the IC note; Corwin makes the reasonable suggestion that he probably saw d'Arrest's preceding nebula, NGC 3232. In any event, since there is nothing at Herschel's position the questions raised in the original NGC weigh heavily in favor of NGC 3234 being the same as NGC 3235, regardless of any subsequent confusion.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.2 by 0.9 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3235 (= GC 2095, d'Arrest, 1860 RA 10 17 05, NPD 61 16.6) is "faint, small, following (eastern) of 2", the other being NGC 3232. See NGC 3234 for a discussion of the double listing.
Physical Information: Despite the identity of NGC 3235 being secure, and that of NGC 3234 merely the best guess available, the tradition of assigning duplicate entries to the earlier number holds here, so see NGC 3234 for anything else.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3236 (= GC 2096 = JH 707, 1860 RA 10 17 17, NPD 28 01.3) is "extremely faint, very small, pretty suddenly bright middle, two stars 11th to 12th magnitude to east".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.5 by 1.0 arcmin? (plus a faint northwestern extension?)

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3237 (= GC 2097 = JH 709 = WH III 631, 1860 RA 10 17 28, NPD 49 39.8) is "very faint, very small, round, pretty gradually brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.3 by 1.3 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3238 (= GC 2098 = JH 708 = WH II 883, 1860 RA 10 17 29, NPD 32 04.4) is "faint, small, round, pretty suddenly little brighter middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.4 by 1.3 arcmin? Perhaps surrounded by a very large outer envelope (most obviously to the southeast).

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3239 (= GC 2099 = JH 710 = JH 3246 = WH IV 10, 1860 RA 10 17 31, NPD 72 08.3) is "very faint, 9th magnitude star involved near middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 4.5 by 2.4 arcmin? Used by the Arp Atlas as an example of a galaxy with irregular clumps.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3240 (= GC 2100 = JH 3247, 1860 RA 10 17 53, NPD 111 04.9) is "extremely faint, small, round, star near".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.1 by 1.0 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3241 (= GC 2101 = JH 3249, 1860 RA 10 17 57, NPD 121 45.5) is "faint, pretty much extended, gradually a little brighter middle, 11th magnitude star to northwest".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.4 by 1.6 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3242 (= GC 2102 = JH 3248 = WH IV 27, LL 20204, 1860 RA 10 18 02, NPD 107 56.1) is "a remarkable planetary, very bright, a little extended 147°, 45 arcsec diameter, blue".
PGC Designation Note: For purposes of completeness, LEDA assigns a PGC designation to this object even though it isn't a galaxy; but a search of the database for that designation returns no result, so it is shown in quotes.
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.07 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3243 (Lewis Swift list III (#54), 1860 RA 10 19 04, NPD 91 55.9) is "very faint, small, a little extended, between 2 stars".
Physical Information: Apparent size 1.4 by 1.1 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3244 (= GC 2103 = JH 4019, hon, 1860 RA 10 19 21, NPD 129 06.4) is "very faint, 11th magnitude star 90 arcsec to north" ("hon" was used by Dreyer to indicate that the item was accidentally omitted from Herschel's published list of southern nebulae, but included in the errata).
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.1 by 1.8 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3245 (= GC 2104 = JH 711 = WH I 86, 1860 RA 10 19 26, NPD 60 46.9) is "very bright, pretty large, extended 0°, suddenly much brighter middle and extended nucleus".
Physical Information: Apparent size 3.2 by 1.8 arcmin? Used by the de Vaucouleurs Atlas of Galaxy Types as an example of galaxy type SA(l)0°.

Physical Information: Apparent size 3.5 by 0.3 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3246 (= GC 2105 = JH 712, 1860 RA 10 19 26, NPD 85 26.4) is "extremely faint, small, round, making a triangle with two stars, 6th magnitude star 8 arcmin distant at position angle 300°".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.4 by 1.0 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3247 (= GC 2106 = JH 3250, 1860 RA 10 19 38, NPD 147 10.6) is "stars involved in a nebula". The second IC lists a corrected position (per DeLisle Stewart) of RA 10 18 50, NPD 147 06 and adds "h.'s place was only approximate" ("h" being John Herschel).
Physical Information: Also referred to as RCW49, this large emission nebula is energized by a star cluster, Westerlund 2, partially hidden within its depths. Older stars have already cleared gas and dust out of the central portions of the nebula, but younger stars are still hidden by the clouds of gas and dust out of which they recently formed. Fortunately, the fleet of space telescopes now in orbit allows us to study even those stars. The cluster is approximately 14 thousand light years away, and contains more than 2200 stars, of which 300 were previously unobservable. The cluster is only 1 or 2 million years old, so some of its stars are very massive (high-mass stars have very short lifetimes, so older clusters don't contain very massive stars). One of the cluster members consists of 82 and 83 solar mass stars which orbit each other every 3.7 days, at a distance from each other of less than 25 million miles. Note: The NASA sites (Spitzer, Chandra and APoD) all misidentify the constellation as Centaurus; but the object is in Carina, as indicated above.

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3248 (= GC 2107 = JH 713 = WH II 347, 1860 RA 10 20 03, NPD 66 26.5) is "pretty bright, small, round, pretty suddenly bright middle".
Physical Information: Apparent size 2.5 by 1.1 arcmin?

Historical Identification: Per Dreyer, NGC 3249 (= GC 2108 = JH 3251, 1860 RA 10 20 07, NPD 124 14.6) is "extremely faint, pretty large, round, very gradually very little brighter middle".
Physical Information: Based on a recessional velocity of 3400 km/sec, NGC 3249 is about 160 million light years away, in reasonable agreement with a single redshift-independent distance estimate of 145 million light years. Based on that and its apparent size of 1.6 by 1.45 arcmin, the galaxy is about 75 thousand light years across.