Lewis Swift discovered NGC 6670 = Sw. IV-71 on 31 Jul 1886 and recorded "eeF; S; cE; e diff.; between a F and a pB *, nearer the former." His position is fairly accurate and the "pB *" is mag 9 HD 238901, located 4.7' due west. Swift did not resolve this double system.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/20/90): very faint, very small. With close inspection resolves into two galaxies oriented WSW-ENE (actually a triple system). The ENE member is larger and brighter and a mag 13 star is 30" SE of the ENE component. Forms a trio with CGCG 301-032 5' ESE.

600/800mm - 24" (7/21/12): the main two components of this interacting triple were easily resolved at 322x. The western component (NGC 6670B) appeared fairly faint, fairly small, very elongated WSW-ENE, 25"x8", even surface brightness. NGC 6670A is nearly in contact at the east end and appeared fairly faint, fairly small, elongated 2:1 WNW-ESE, 24"x12". The tiny companion at the eastern tip of NGC 6670A was not resolved. Located 4.5' E of mag 9 HD 238901.

Nearby is CGCG 030-032 5' SE, CGCG 030-030 9' W, and 2MFGC 14471 10' SSE. CGCG 030-032 appeared faint, very small, irregularly round, 15" diameter. CGCG 030-030 is fairly faint, small, round, 15"-18" diameter, slightly brighter nucleus. Located 4.6' WSW of mag 9.0 HD 238901. 2MFGC 14471 = LEDA 2597427 is extremely faint and small, 12" diameter. This low surface brightness edge-on is too faint to see any shape or structure. Situated between a mag 11.5 star 0.8' NNW and a mag 11 star 1.2' S.

900/1200mm - 48" (11/2/13): this fascinating interacting pair was observed at 488x and 813x. NGC 6670B, the western component, appeared as a moderately bright, very thin edge-on, 5:1 WSW-ESE, 0.6'x0.12'. NGC 6670A is the brighter eastern component and was slightly detached (perhaps by 12") from the western component. At 488x it appeared moderately bright with a high surface brightness, very elongated 3:1 WNW-ESE, 0.6'x0.2', contains a bright elongated core. An extremely small knot (LEDA 200359) is at the east-southeast tip. Using 813x, this knot (listed separately in the UGC notes, but probably a compact star forming region in NGC 6670A) was occasionally just cleanly detached, round, ~5" diameter, situated barely south of the major axis. A mag 12.5 star lies 1' ESE of the eastern component. Located 4.4' due E of mag 9.0 HD 238901. CGCG 301-32, 5' SE, appeared moderately bright, fairly small, elongated 3:2 SW-NE, 21"x14", brighter core.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb