It takes time and experience to "see" some objects with low surface brightness. I can see something plainly and then ask a friend to look and they see nothing. In town with an 8 inch scope you will struggle with many galaxies and nebula. However, there are still many good nebula that are within your reach. M8, M20 and the Tarantula (NGC 2070) are good nebula to start on (although Tarantula is more a summer object). Have a go at clusters to start with too. M5, M22, NGC 104, NGC 6397 and Omega Cen (NGC 5139) are great objects to look at in town or out. I have a Celestron 9.25" and observe from surburban Canberra. In just the last 12 months I have managed to observe over 200 different objects. So, there is plenty there if you know where to look and are patient.
