Hi albusdl. As dag123 said you're scope and equipment are fine. You'll be able to see a great deal of objects from our solar system and beyond. A simple way to work out what to explore is though planetarium software such as Stellarium. You can become familiar with your local sky before you get out there with your scope. Some things to look for are the Messier objects: M57 (the ring nebula), M27 (the dumbbell nebula), M51 (the Whirlpool galaxy), M31 (the Andromeda galaxy) and of course M42 which you mentioned in your post. You can see the objects I've listed in binoculars so a scope like yours should give you a lovely view. Total darkness is not absolutely required. I image and observe in less than perfect conditions without problems as many members do but you many need to invest in light pollution filters to help your views improve. Regards Mark