John Herschel discovered NGC 7163 = h3902 on 27 Sep 1834 and logged "pF; lE; glbM; 40"."

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/28/92): very faint, fairly small, irregularly round, low surface brightness, diffuse with ill-defined edges, weakly concentrated but no core, requires averted to see well. Located 7.5' W of a mag 9.5 star. The NGC 7172-7176 group (HCG 90) lies 35'-40' E.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb