Édouard Stephan discovered NGC 6914 = St XII-93 on 29 Aug 1881 and recorded "vF, vL, iR, dif, 2 st att p[receding]." [NGC description]. His position is accurate. The patch ~6' south is sometimes called NGC 6914B and is part of the same reflection nebula complex. It's not clear from Stephan's description how large an area of nebulosity he noticed.

200/250mm - 8" (7/24/82): fairly large nebulous field locally brighter surrounding a wide faint double star and to the south surrounding a double star mag 9. The brightest section is elongated N-S.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/7/91): at 100x appears as a fairly bright field of reflection nebulosity locally brightest surrounding two pairs of fairly bright stars. Two mag 11 stars are at the north end with a separation of 51" and a mag 9 (SAO 49589)/mag 11 pair with a separation of 42" is at the south end. These two sections are separated by ~6' and are connected by a fainter elongated piece of nebulosity. Very faint nebulosity also extends NE towards a mag 7 star (SAO 49603) located 11' NE. Stephan's position is centered on the northern pair of stars. A third piece surrounding a mag 9 further SW was not noted.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb