John Herschel discovered NGC 7232 = h3931, along with NGC 7233, on 6 Sep 1834 and recorded "pB; vS; pmE; psbM; 15" l, 8" br. The preceding of 2."

300/350mm - 13.1" (8/17/85): faint, elongated WNW-ESE, brighter core. Located just 3.0' SW of mag 8.5 SAO 231056 and 3.0' W of a mag 9.5 star. Brighter IC 5181 lies 26' SW. Very far south for viewing from the latitude of Northern California.

400/500mm - 18" (7/5/05 - Magellan Observatory, Australia): moderately bright, moderately large, elongated 5:2 ~E-W, ~1.5'x0.6'. Well concentrated with a bright 30" core. Forms the western vertex of an isosceles triangle with two bright stars – mag 8.8 HD 211111 3' NE and mag 8.9 HD 211121 3.5' E. To complete this striking arrangement, a fainter companion, NGC 7233 is 1.9' E and is squeezed between NGC 7232 and the mag 8.9 star nearly due east. Observation made with a partially dewed secondary that probably dimmed both members.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb