William Herschel discovered NGC 5053 = H VI-7 = h1569 on 14 Mar 1784 (sweep 170) and recorded "an excessively faint cluster of stars intermixed with resolvable nebulosity 8 or 10' diameter. The stars are so small that they cannot be seen without the greatest attention. 240 verified it beyond all doubts." There is nothing at his position, but 2 min of RA west is this low surface brightness globular.

John Herschel described the GC as "vL; eF; a cluster of stars 19 or 20m, with 4 or 5 = 15m; irreg R, vgvlbM; diam at least 8 or 10'. A most curious and interesting object. The stars are just discernable. So faint, might easily be overlooked." He also mentioned the RA of his father was "very much out" so he nearly lost the observation. Dreyer used JH's position in the NGC.

200/250mm - 8" faint, fairly large, pale, no resolution.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/10/86): about two dozen faint stars resolved at 286x over a faint background haze. Very weak concentration with no core. Appears similar to a faint, resolved open cluster. A mag 9.5 star is off the east side, 6.5' from the center.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb