NGC 1023 is a nice bright barred lenticular galaxy.  This galaxy apparently forms a group with nearby NGC 891, NGC 925, NGC 949, NGC 959, NGC 1003, UGC 1807, UGC 1865, UGC 2014, UGC 2023, UGC 2034 and UGC 2259.

The high surface brightness makes NGC 1023 a good target for suburban skies.  A brighter, elongated central bar resides within a broader haze.  At the center lies a starlike core.  Larger instruments will reveal NGC 1023A, a faint companion that lies off the eastern end (right in image).

In my 18-inch f/4.5 the galaxy appeared much thinner (more elongated) than in the image on the right.  The axis of the brighter central region is not parallel to the fainter outer haze, producing a sort of twisting effect.  The faint, very diffuse glow of the companion galaxy appeared superimposed on the eastern end, blending into an irregular shaped-bulge on this end of the galaxy.