The Planetary Nebula (NGC 2438) embedded in the Open Cluster M46 (NGC2437) is not in fact part of this cluster.
The distance to the PN is 3260 LY while the distance to the cluster is 5542 LY.
M46 is a splendid cluster,but in IMHO the PN really gives it that special status.
The PN is observable in scopes as small as 4", I know this as this was the first planetary nebula I observed and it was in a 4" Questar scope way back in February 1987 from a dark sky site near Marberg West of Ipswich Queensland.
So well worth the effort to track this object down.
Cheers
