I check it in Telescopius. An 840mm scope captures it nicely. You are correct about everything you said, except it would likely not be visible to the eye through the scope. It would take dozens of long exposures to capture enough light to process.
Note I said, “To obtain an image like this”.
I was speaking in general terms of looking at *any* galaxy with a, “Small scope and the unaided eye”. Of course, most galaxies are not even detectable in small scopes with no camera.
Even the larger, big structure brighter galaxies like M33, M31 are not real impressive and will produce little if any detail to the eye in small inexpensive scopes.
I personally have not used or looked through an eyepiece for many years. I watch everything the cameras see on a 24” monitor within the observatory, which can also be remotely controlled from a larger monitor in the home.☺
I should have clarified and said;
What they fail to mention is yes, *some* galaxies are easily spotted in small scopes with the unaided eye but it won’t look anything like the image presented here.
My bad.
Btw, I have never imaged this galaxy but I’m pretty sure this galaxy is visible in small scopes and even with binoculars with the right conditions etc.