Lewis Swift discovered NGC 6471 = Sw. V-78, along with NGC 6456, 6472 and 6477, on 25 Sep 1886. His description simply mentions how faint and difficult the observation was and that NGC 6471 was the "4th of 6". His position is very close southeast of UGC 10973, a thin edge-on. UGC 10973 is misidentified as NGC 6470 in RNGC, UGC, CGCG, MCG. PGC labels it NGC 6470 = NGC 6471, but NGC 6470 is a separate brighter galaxy 1.6' north. The RNGC and CGCG misidentify MCG +11-21-024, a compact galaxy just off the east edge of NGC 6471, as NGC 6471. See Corwin's identification notes for NGC 6456.

400/500mm - 17.5" (6/11/88): extremely faint and small, round. Forms a double system with UGC 10973b 30" ESE (possibly seen as a faint mag 15 "star") in the NGC 6456 group. In a tight quartet with NGC 6470 1.6' N and NGC 6472 2.4' NNW. Also nearby is NGC 6463 3.7' W.

600/800mm - 24" (8/23/14): extremely faint or very faint, small, very elongated 3:1 N-S, 20"x6". Located 1.6' S of brighter NGC 6470 and 3.7' ESE of NGC 6463.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb