Lewis Swift discovered NGC 6787 = Sw. II-78 on 10 Sep 1885 and recorded "eeeF; pS; 4 stars in semi circle sf; e diff." His RA is 12 seconds too small and the "4 stars in semi-circle sf" lie 5' southeast, so the identification is certain. Herbert Howe measured an accurate micrometric position in 1899-00 and commented that "the '4 stars south-following' form a rude square."

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/13/88): faint, fairly small, round, weak concentration. A mag 15 star is at the NW side.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb