DeLisle Stewart discovered IC 5053 = DS 694 on a plate taken on 26 Sep 1900 at Harvard's Arequipa station. He noted "cF, vS, bM, * mag 11 n 2'."

600/800mm - 30" (10/18/17 - OzSky): at 264x; fairly faint or moderately bright, elongated 5:2 SW-NE, 1.0'x 0.4', brighter core. A mag 11.5 star is 1.7' N. A thin equatorial dust lane was not noticed. IC 5053 is located 16' SE of mag 8.2 HD 197828 and forms an interacting pair with IC 5054 6.7' N. The pair is probably part of the Pavo-I Group, which is centered 3° WNW.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb