Start by finding the Summer Triangle, which consists of the three of the brightest stars in the sky--Vega, Deneb, and Altair. The Summer Triangle is high overhead throughout the summer, and it sinks lower in the west as fall progresses.
For this star hop, start from Deneb, the first-magnitude star that forms the tail of Cygnus, the swan (or if you visualize the brightest stars of Cygnus as a cross shape, Deneb is at the top of the cross).
From Deneb, look about 5 degrees to the northwest for Omicron 2 Cygni, then follow this line another 7 degrees to Theta (θ) Cygni, magitude 4.5. From Theta, move your scope just 1-1/3 degrees to the east and you will see the 10th magnitude star at the center of the nebula. Using medium to high magnification may make it easier to see the nebula.
