NGC 5493 is a peculiar lenticular galaxy in the constellation of Virgo. Its velocity with respect to the cosmic microwave background is , which corresponds to a Hubble distance of . However, three non-redshift measurements give a much closer mean distance of . It was discovered by German-British astronomer William Herschel on 22 February 1787.
NGC 5493 has a possible active galactic nucleus, i.e. it has a compact region at the center of a galaxy that emits a significant amount of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, with characteristics indicating that this luminosity is not produced by the stars.
According to A. M. Garcia, NGC 5493 is a member of the NGC 5427 group (also known as LGG 374). This galaxy group has at least four other members, including NGC 5426, NGC 5427, NGC 5468, and .
One supernova has been observed in NGC 5493: