On deep images, NGC 7497 resides in a remarkable streak of "Integrated Flux Nebula" in Pegasus. IFN, also known as Galactic Cirrus is dust and gas outside the plane of the Milky Way. It dimly shines by reflected light (blue) as well as fluoresced by ultraviolet light of massive stars within the disk of our galaxy.

William Herschel discovered NGC 7497 = H III-203 = h2209 on 15 Oct 1784 (sweep 290) and recorded "vF, E, considerably L, about 2' long." JH made two observations: "eF; E like the tail of a comet; lbM." (sweep 11) and "vF; mE; pos 45° nf to sp; 4' l, 1' br." (sweep 92).

400/500mm - 17.5" (9/2/89): fairly faint, fairly large, very elongated 3:1 SW-NE, brighter middle, fairly low surface brightness.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb