NGC 6822 was discovered by E. E. Barnard in 1884 with a 5-inch refractor. If you're not yet impressed by Barnard's discovery, you will be when you consider this Magellanic-type irregular galaxy has a surface brightness of just 23.7 (B) magnitudes per square arc second. Employing a range of magnifications (48X to 129X) over several minutes, I was able to detect Barnard's Galaxy as a barely visible glow against the sky. The galaxy's irregular shape covers roughly a 12'x6' area as viewed in my 10-inch Newtonian. NGC 6822 is aligned nearly north-south. Two HII regions appear as subtle brightenings within the galaxy. NGC 6822 is stationed 1.5 degrees northeast of 5.0 magnitude 55 Sagittarii. Before departing, check out nearby NGC 6818, just 42' to the north.