John Herschel discovered NGC 7418 = h3963 on 30 Aug 1834 and recorded "pB; vL; R; or vlE; vgbM; 4' diam; with left eye r, hardly resolved, PD bad. A fine object."

Based on photographs taken in 1919-20 at the Helwan observatory with the 30-inch Reynolds telescope, it was described as "2.5' x 2.5', spiral with a pF almost stellar nucleus. This is a "left-hand" spiral with two main branches which are close together on the following side, and from these proceed a number of smaller subsidiary whisps."

200/250mm - 8" (7/16/82): very faint, fairly large, round, diffuse.

300/350mm - 13.1" (10/20/84): fairly large, very diffuse, even surface brightness. Larger than NGC 7421 19' SSE.

400/500mm - 18" (10/25/08): fairly bright, very large, elongated 3:2 NW-SE, 2.5'x1.8', broad weak concentration. The halo fades into the background without a well-defined edge. This is the largest galaxy visually in the Grus Chain (brightest member IC 1459).

Notes by Steve Gottlieb