I've been doing some backyard astronomy recently with a revelation 8" newtonian, and i keep doing the usual: observing the splendor of jupiter, pleiades and attempt other messier object with repeated failure. I do have a good set of eyepieces as well as UHC filter. I figured i'd try my university (Kent) observatory, but even there the skyglow from the town is evident, and my observing was not particularly much better than the backyard. Someone here posted a popular statement; if you can't see the milky way, you won't be able to see any galaxies and that has got me thinking.... So i'm wanderin