Edward Swift discovered NGC 6663 = Sw. IX-88 on 29 May 1887. The position is 3.4' due north of UGC 11276, the only nearby galaxy. The same night Edward discovered NGC 6685 and NGC 6686, all three within 1.5° of Vega. The discoveries were communicated directly to Dreyer and weren't published until after the NGC (list IX in 1890).

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/1/89): very faint, fairly small, almost round, extremely weak central brightening, diffuse.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb