Ralph Copeland discovered NGC 6153 on 27 May 1883 near Lake Titicaca, using a 6.1" refractor with a direct vision Vogel-spectroscope. The position given in Copernicus III (1884) is just 1' too far north. In 1926, Willem van den Bos at the Cape Observatory, reported "This object is a planetary as seen through the 26 1/2-inch reractor. Major axis 28", Minor axis 22" in PA 7°-187°." The same year, W.S. Finsen called it a ring nebula.

300/350mm - 13.1" (6/18/85): fairly bright, fairly small, almost round, picked up at 62x. Striking location as forms the southern vertex of a small "kite" or cruciform asterism (rhombus) with two mag 10 stars 2.6' N and 2.7' NW and a mag 9.5 star 2.5' NE. Although prominent, this planetary is very far south for viewing from northern California.

Notes by Steve Gottlieb