Joe, galaxies, along with dim, extended nebulae, are objects that really require a dark sky to get a good view. There are a few that can be seen from the valley, but none of them will look as good as they do under a dark sky. M31 of course, though only about 1/4 of it's full extent can be seen from Salt Lake under the best conditions- it's also not favorably placed right now. Try M65 & M66, and depending on your very local conditions, NGC 3628 nearby (the Leo Triplet). Also M95, M96, & M105 nearby. M101, M108, M81 & M82, many of the other NGC galaxies in Ursa Major are visible. And of course M51, the Whirlpool. Just bear in mind that the galaxies that usually display structure and details under dark skies, will fade to smudges in the presence of light pollution. But it's still a fun challenge to try and find them. Don't get discouraged. Don't use narrowband filters like ultrablocks or the O-III, which do nothing for galaxies since they shine by starlight, not glowing gas. Sometimes a broadband filter helps- but only about half the time, from my experience. Higher power almost always helps under light-polluted skies, by darkening the background. Set up your scope where no lights shine directly onto your site. It's best to be at the center of say, a grove of trees, with only an opening overhead. Sites high on the benches with the valley stretching out in panorama are not the best. Keep your site as shielded as possible, and staying as dark-adapted as possible is even more of a requirement than it is from a dark, rural site. Good luck, Joe! In a message dated 3/16/2007 9:52:54 AM Mountain Standard Time, bau@desnews.com writes: Nice report, Deb. Anybody want to comment on which galaxies might be OK from a light-polluted location, if any? Cory wants to look through our telescope but doesn't want to stand outside all night at a dark location, so I will probably set up somewhere around Red Butte Garden tonight. Could someone suggest some good targets, particularly galaxies? Thanks, Joe ************************************** AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at http://www.aol.com.