Arp placed IC 162 in his category of "concentric rings". V-V classified this galaxy as an interacting pair (VV 53), but the galaxy looks single on the SDSS.

Lewis Swift discovered IC 162 = Sw. X-11 in January 1891 or perhaps earlier on 3 Oct 1889 (list IX-3). The interpretation depends on which single galaxy he picked up in 1889. Furthermore, Swift's position for List XI-11 is 10' too far south. The UGC, CGCG and MCG misidentify IC 161 (southwestern member of the pair) as IC 162. See Harold Corwin's notes and Malcolm Thompson's IC Corrections.

600/800mm - 24" (12/28/13): at 375x appeared moderately bright, fairly small, round, 30" diameter, fairly well concentrated with a small bright core. The halo increases in size to at least 0.8' with averted vision. In a small group with MCG +02-05-039 = PGC 6653 just 1.0' SE, IC 161 2.5' WSW and UGC 1268 4.0' N. PGC 6653 appeared very faint, small, elongated 2:1 N-S, 24"x12".

Notes by Steve Gottlieb