This is Messier 40. Not one of the more popular or prettier Messier objects. At first glance your probably wondering "Where is it?". Well here's the answer: It's that double star slightly below center. Here's where it gets even stranger. Those two stars are probably not a true double (i.e. gravitationally bound) and are most likely an "optical" double with an angular separation of almost one arc-minute. Towards the left, above center lies the ring galaxy NGC4290. At ~150 million light-years and very low surface brightness of mag 14 it's highly unlikely that Messier could see it. People speculate that Messier was trying to verify a report of a nebula, couldn't fine one and decided to catalog the "double" instead. Clear skies! Fred http://owlmountainobservatory.com/