Ernst Hartwig discovered NGC 5176, along with NGC 5177, on 29 Jun 1883 with the 18-inch Merz refractor at the Strasbourg Observatory. He found these while searching for comet d'Arrest (AN 2688). Wilhelm Tempel, who viewed nearby NGC 5171, missed NGC 5176.

400/500mm - 17.5" (5/27/95): located 2.9' N of NGC 5171 in a compact cluster. Very faint, very small, round, 20" diameter. Forms a very close pair with NGC 5177 57" N.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb