In the constellation Coma Berenices many have observed and enjoyed the big and bright Globular Cluster M53. Less than two degrees to its south east lies another Globular that tends to be far more elusive. Even though the two share a very similar apparent size, the the low density of stars and corespondingly low surface brightness can make NGC 5053 a challenge object even for telescopes of moderate aperture.

On the other hand, if the weather gods cooperate and you are observing from a reasonably dark location it can be observed with even a six inch scope. I had such conditions in the early morning hours of March 5/08. The transparency was 8/10 and my SQM was reading 21.29 which corresponds to a limiting magnitude of approximately 6.7.

Here is how I saw NGC 5053 using an f/8 6 inch dob at 100X magnification. The TFOV is approximately 0.9 degrees.

If the conditions are right, go give this one a try. It might not be as difficult as you think.