John Herschel discovered NGC 7714 = h2257 on 18 Sep 1830 and recorded "pB; S; R; psbM; in field with 16 Piscium; a star 12m near south preceding (dist = 1 diameter of neb by diagram)." His position is fairly accurate. NGC 7715 was discovered at Birr Castle.

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/7/91): moderately bright, very small, unusually bright 13th magnitude stellar nucleus! Surrounded by a small halo slightly elongated NW-SE. Forms a close pair with NGC 7715 1.8' E. Located 4' NW of 16 Piscium (V = 5.7), which adds to an interesting view! This is a distorted Wolf-Rayet starburst galaxy.

600/800mm - 24" (8/30/16): at 322x; bright, moderately large, irregular shape. Contains a very bright quasi-stellar nucleus and a close knot on the NW side. The halo is irregular in outline. Brighter of a close, interacting pair (Arp 284) with NGC 7715 2' E. The bridge of material connecting the pair was not seen. Located 4' NW of mag 5.7 16 Psc!

900/1200mm - 48" (10/26/16): at 610x; very bright, moderately large, unusual irregular structure, ~1.2' diameter. This deformed, interacting Wolf-Rayet galaxy is dominated by an extremely bright stellar nucleus (starburst activity). A short bar-like central region is elongated NNW-SSE. A curved arm bends sharply west on the south end of the "bar" and contains a very small knot (southwest of the nucleus). A second arm, which appears to consist of a series of HII knots on the SDSS, begins on the NNW end of the "bar" and extends a short distance northeast. A low surface brightness halo appears as a hazy glow on the eastern side only [a tidal loop on the SDSS]. The western tidally stretched arm of NGC 7715 2' E heads towards NGC 7714 but doesn't form a complete bridge.

NGC 7714 is located just 4' NW of mag 5.7 16 Psc and the bright star needs to be kept out of the field. [HB89] 2333+019, an 18th magnitude quasar with a light-travel time of over 10 billion years, faint distant quasar, lies 4.4' ENE of center and was the subject of an article by Howard Banich in the Oct. '17 issue of Sky & Tel.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb