Astronomer Halton C. Arp has cataloged 338 peculiar galaxies. This is the 230th item on that list. IC 51 is located 4.6 degrees north-northeast of 2.0 magnitude Diphda, Beta (16) Ceti. The view in my 10-inch, f/4.5 Newtonian is presented in the sketch at left. IC 51 is 60"x30" in size with a 15th magnitude GSC star at its western extent. 8.5 magnitude HD 4468 blazes 20' to the south just inside the field boundary. While you're in the area, slew north 1.5 degrees to the fine planetary nebula, NGC 246.