Heinrich d'Arrest discovered NGC 5543 on 26 Apr 1865 with the 11-inch refractor at Copenhagen while observing NGC 5546. His position is accurate.

400/500mm - 17.5" (7/17/01): faintest in a trio with NGC 5546 5.5' SSE and NGC 5542 6.4' SW. Faint, very small, elongated 2:1 NW-SE, 0.4'x0.2'. Collinear with two mag 13-14 stars equally spaced 1.2' N and 2.3' N.

17.5" (5/10/91): very faint, very small, irregularly round. Three collinear equally spaced (1' separation each) mag 14 stars trail off to the N. In a group with NGC 5546 5' SSE.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb