Édouard Stephan discovered NGC 6745 = St X-38 on 24 Jul 1879 and noted "vF, lE north and south." His micrometric position is accurate.

300/350mm - 13.1" (7/20/85): fairly faint, edge-on SSW-NNE. At 220x appears to bend on the NNE end to the west. This is a disrupted interacting system on the POSS and the extension seen at the NNE end may be the contact pair.

900/1200mm - 48" (10/24/11 and 10/26/19): we observed the "Bird's Head" galaxy at 488x and 610x and the same detail visible in the April observation was seen. In addition, I took notes on the detached companion (PGC 200361), which was immediately noticed just off the north edge of NGC 6745. It appeared very faint, small, elongated 3:2 N-S, ~12"x8". With averted vision it was continuously visible.

48" (4/1/11): this interacting galaxy pair or triple was a fascinating sight at 488x. The main body is bright, very asymmetric, extending 2:1 N-S, ~1.1'x0.5'. The brighter east side is noticeable curved or bulging to the east and bends on the north end towards the west. A thin strip along the eastern edge glows brighter. The western edge of the main galaxy is relatively straight and dimmer. The south end has a fairly blunt or rectangular appearance. At the north end, a very unusual bright spike or "bird's beak" with a high surface brightness juts out of the main body, perhaps 12"x4" (catalogued as NGC 6745 NED03 = PGC 200362 = KTG 69B). A very faint, very small detached glow, ~5" diameter, is just north of the "beak" (catalogued as NGC 6745 NED02 =(PGC 200361 = KTG 69C).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb