Hickson 86 in Sagittarius

HICKSONNAMESIZE (M) MAG (V)SB
86aESO 461-0071.2X0.7 13.313.0
86bMCG-05-47-0030.5X0.4 13.812.0
86cMCG-05-47-0020.4X0.3 14.912.7
86dMCG-05-47-0010.3X0.2 14.711.7

This nice quartet is located in Sagittarius! The brightest member ESO 461-007 ("A") is faint, small, elongated 3:2 SW-NE, 45"x30", slightly brighter core. A very faint star is close off the W side. Collinear to the west in a 4' chain are M-05-47-003 = "B" and M-05-47-001 = "D". The "B" member is very faint, very small, round, 25" diameter. A faint star is visible off the W side. The "D" component further west was not noticed initially and required averted vision to glimpse. Appears extremely faint, very small and within 1' following a mag 12 star (which has a wide 14th magnitude companion). Finally the "C" member on the south side of the group is extremely faint, very small, slightly elongated, 15" diameter. - Steve Gottlieb