William Herschel discovered NGC 6823 = H VII-18 = h2049 on 17 Jul 1785 (sweep 415) and recorded "an elongated cluster of irregularly scattered stars of various sizes, considerably rich; the place taken is that of the brightest part of it, which is towards the south." JH made the single observation "p rich, irreg R; 5' diam; a cl of loose stars; the chief = 10m, the rest = 11...12. Four or five in centre [multiple star BD + 22 3782] form a lozenge."

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/10/91): about 50 stars in the central 5' diameter, bright, moderately large, fairly rich. Includes four bright mag 9.5-11 stars in a tight group at the core of the cluster plus two or three very faint stars in a 20" diameter. Most of the stars form a distinctive 5' oval ring, elongated ~E-W. Emission nebulosity Sh 2-86 (misidentified as NGC 6820 in most sources) is entwined.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb