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Hi,
Yes, i too started out with an 8" dob..I looked and looked for a few nights and couldn't find anything of interest..But 2 things were happening..I was looking for the wrong thing, and i was looking in the wrong place....My first results came when i used BOTH stellarium and printed out maps...i used the stellarium to orriantate the maps...thats the real key..just how do you hold the maps so they are alligned with what you are seeing...So i would recomend starting with the southern cross...it has a distinct shape and its easy to orriantate the maps to it..and go from there...hop from bright star to bright star and then hone in on what ur looking for...from memory my first deepspace object was the jewel box luster near the cross...if you imagine there was a guy pinned to the cross..beta crux would be where his right hand is..well, just beside this star is the jewel box cluster...a pretty open cluster tht through your 8" should look fantastic..
Have fun...and don't give up...if it were easy, evryone would be doing it
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