?douard Stephan found NGC 1143 = St VIIIa-11 (along with NGC 1144 = St VIIIa-10) on 17 Nov 1876 with the 31" reflector at Marseille Observatory. His position is accurate. This galaxy was first discovered by Marth on 5 Jan 1864 but his position was 40' too far N (also NGC 1142), so he did not receive credit. But it clear that NGC 1143 = NGC 1141 and NGC 1144 = NGC 1142.

400/500mm - 17.5" (1/7/89): very faint, very small, round. In a common halo with NGC 1144 0.5' ESE. This galaxy is the slightly fainter of the pair.

900/1200mm - 48" (10/25/11): bright, fairly small to moderately large, oval 4:3 WNW-ESE, 0.9'x0.7', well concentrated with a very bright, intense core! Slightly fainter of an interacting pair with highly disrupted NGC 1144, just 35" between centers. The eastern portion of the outer halo of NGC 1143 is merged or overlaps with the halo of NGC 1144 on its northwestern side. 2MASX J02550661-0009448, listed as a 2nd "collider" with NGC 1144 in Madore's 2009 Atlas and Catalogue of Collisional Rings, lies 1.2' NW. The 2MASS galaxy appeared fairly faint, small, very elongated 3:1 N-S, 0.4'x0.15', stellar nucleus.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb