Lewis Swift found NGC 1053 = Sw. V-37 on 21 Oct 1886 with the 16" refractor at Warner Observatory and noted "vF, vS, lE, 4 stars in line south point to it, one close". His position and description matches UGC 2187 = PGC 10298. ?douard Stephan (III-18) earlier discovered this nebula on 9 Dec 1871, but made a 1 tmin error in RA in the reading from his offset star and Dreyer catalogued it as NGC 1040. So, NGC 1053 = NGC 1040, with discovery priority going to Stephan.

400/500mm - 17.5" (11/27/92): faint, very small, slightly elongated. Bracketed by two mag 15 stars just off the north and south edges and collinear with three equally spaced stars to the south (mag 11.5 star 2.3' S, a mag 10.5 star 4' S and a mag 13 star 6' S). Located 5' W of mag 7.5 SAO 38287. Brightest in a group and forms a pair with UGC 2194 6' SSE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb