Galaxy size (mins):

56B 1.1×0.6      56C 0.7×0.4      56D 0.4×0.3

Filters:

With and without Lumicon Deep-Sky.

Notes:

Awesome and rare viewing conditions behind a cold front clearing to the E. Arp 214 is 8 mins N of Arp 322. Both Arps in the zenith, seen easily with DV. In Arp 322 three components were seen without difficultly, namely Hickson 56B, 56C and 56D.  Components A and E were invisible.

Kanipe/Webb give 56D’s magnitude as 16.8. I can see it with DV, surely it is brighter than 16.8. However C Seligman’s website states similar magnitudes:

56C & D are all core and no halo, looking like grains of rice end to end. 56B is larger and angles a little to the N, and is misty on the N side.

In view of the exceptional nature of the observation of Hickson 56D described above, I revisited the galaxy chain on 2017 March 25, observing for 20 minutes either side of 23.10UT. We are now under a stable high pressure area with transparency & seeing both say 4/5. Conditions unpleasant due to NE wind gusting to 25mph and Arp 322 right in the zenith where the telescope is tricky to manoeuvre.  In these less than perfect conditions I could not repeat the observation of five nights earlier.  At best Hickson 56 simply appeared as a slight curve of mist, not resolved into the components.