This 11.6 magnitude spiral galaxy is situated in southeastern Lynx. 5.3 magnitude 36 Lyncis, 3 degrees to the north, is the nearest bright star and a good place to begin your hop. The view in my 10-inch is presented in the sketch at left. At 129X, NGC 2782 appears slightly elongated northeast-southwest across a 3'x2' area and features a stellar core region. The northwest portion of the galactic disk appears somewhat brighter the remaining disk. A close pair of GSC stars, 11th and 12th magnitude, stand sentry about 3' to the south. Of the 25 field stars, the brightest is 9.2 magnitude HD 79031, which is visible along the west field boundary 17' from NGC 2782. 9.8 magnitude SAO 42762 shines 8' north-northeast of the galaxy, the first in a row of three moderately bright stars along and east-west line.