Lewis Swift discovered IC 161 = Sw. IX-3 on 3 Oct 1889 or 8 Jan 1891 and recorded, "eeF; S; cE, between 2 dist star in meridian." He returned to the field in January 1891 and recorded IC 161 again, as well as IC 162 (list X-11 and X-12). It's not certain whether his first observation in 1889 refers to the southwest or northeast member of this pair. To further confuse the situation, the entry for List X-11 is 10' too far south and Dreyer used the erroneous dec for IC 161.

UGC, CGCG and MCG all misidentify IC 161 = UGC 1266 as IC 162 and don't assign an IC designation to IC 162 = UGC 1267. See Corwin's notes on IC 161 and 162 as well as Malcolm's Thomson's IC Corrections.

600/800mm - 24" (12/28/13): at 375x appeared moderately bright, fairly small, elongated 3:2 ~E-W, 0.4'x0.25', well concentrated with a very bright core than increases to a stellar nucleus. An extremely faint companion off the SE side (together forming VV 54) was not seen. Forms a pair with IC 162 = VV 55 = Arp 228 2.5' ENE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb