Truman Safford discovered IC 163 = Sf. 72 = Sw. IX-4 on 27 Dec 1866 and recorded "pB, pS, bM N = 13m." His position is 1' N of UGC 1276. The Dearborn observatory discoveries weren't published until 1887. Lewis Swift discovered the galaxy again on 25 Nov 1889 and reported it as new in his 9th list (#4) with description "eeeF; pL R." His RA was 12 seconds too large. Dreyer credited both observers in the IC and used Swift's position, though Safford's was more accurate.

600/800mm - 24" (8/29/19): at 375x; fairly faint, oval 2:1 or 5:2 ~E-W, brighter along the major axis like a bar, ~50"x20", bulges slightly at the center. The "bar" is slightly offset to the east in the halo. A mag 14.1 star is less than 1' S and another is 2' E.

24" (12/6/18): at 375x; nearly in the moderately bright category, elongated ~5:2 E-W or perhaps ENE-WSW, slightly brighter core region. Sometimes appeared slightly brighter along the major axis like a bar. Situated just north of the westernmost star in slightly curved trio of similar 14th mag stars. Member of the NGC 691 Group.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb