Wilhelm Tempel independently discovered NGC 54 in 1886 with the 11-inch refractor at the Arcetri Observatory, along with Lewis Swift (V-2) on 21 Oct 1886 with the 16" refractor at the Warner Observatory. Tempel's observation doesn't appear in any of his lists so the discovery must have been communicated directly to Dreyer and the discovery priority is unknown. Swift's published position is 10 sec of RA east and 27" S of MCG -01-01-060 = PGC 1011, but the RA is accurately stated in the NGC (probably from Tempel).

400/500mm - 17.5" (8/20/88): fairly faint, small, very elongated 3:1 E-W, even surface brightness. Located 10' ENE of NGC 47 in a group.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb