William Herschel discovered NGC 6885 = H VIII-20 = h2071 on 9 Sep 1784 (only discovery in sweep 261) and recorded "a cl of coarsely scattered stars, not very rich." His position is 6' west of 20 Vul, within the boundaries of the cluster. This same cluster was probably observed the next night and recorded as H VIII-22 = NGC 6882, but with a 15' error in declination. So, NGC 6882 = NGC 6885, though NGC 6882 is often taken as a richer subgroup on the northwest side of the cluster. JH made the single observation "Splendid cluster. More than fills the field; loose and straggling; poor in stars, one = 6.7m, whose place is given; the rest 9, 10, 11." Karl Harding found the cluster again in 1823 (probably with a 8.5-inch reflector built by WH, according to Wolfgang Steinicke) and included it in a list of discoveries he sent to Johann Bode.

200/250mm - 8" (8/23/84): about 50 stars at 100x, triangular-shaped, large, scattered, includes 20 Vulpeculae (V = 5.9). NGC 6882 is superimposed 5' N.

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/7/91): about 80 stars mag 6-13 in 15' triangular group, bright. Includes the bright star 20 Vulpeculae (V = 5.9) surrounded by seven very faint stars in the SE corner of the cluster. Weak in the center of the triangle except for about 10 other stars. A wide bright pair is at the east vertex and a wide unequal double star is at the SW side. Most stars are located along the west side particularly at the NW corner (this subgroup is catalogued as NGC 6882, although it may refer to the entire scattered group).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb