Florian,

I found your post interesting.
I live out in the country, no city light pollution, but do have a
streetlight- 350 ft to the east, a closer flood on top of a post-about
65 ft. east, and a neighbor's backyard flood, about 500 ft N/NE.

I think the area West-North is my best hope for seeing, as there is an
empty field behind my house (west) and a pasture behind my neighbor's
house (north) that goes far to the west. I have seen the 12-Gamma-1
Delphini star, naked eye, 5.15 mag in Delphinius, when seeing allowed.

If my average mag skies are 4.3 (Zeta Lyrae) or perhaps a little
better, might I benefit from a UHC filter? I'm thinking about getting
one of these-an Astronomiks, but have read ultimately they work best
at dark sky sites-not hard to believe. I do get those few rare
evenings where it seems there is sugar sprinkled on black velvet-nice,
steady, clear nights. Can you tell me what mag skies are in your
area?

Another example, I can see the three main stars of the Triangulum
(4.03 Gamma Trianguli)on a regular night, even thought that area of
the sky has the streetlight, and one much further NE up the highway.
Of course, through binoculars or the scope I can see the "invisible"
higher mag stars.

I have Orion's XT4.5, 3 years the end of this October-a keeper, good
grab & go-no Televue refractor here-and with the Skyquest Classics
going on sale, have the XT8 on the way (talk about new scope
curse...). I found M57 a few weeks ago-I've been lagging on finding
objects-so I'm spurred on to find more. Any insight into this would
be appreciated.

Clear skies,
Kerry
s.e. Louisiana