From your aprox location at midnight, M31 is 16degs a above the horizon, I suggest you use a pair of bino's to find it first then put your scope on it.
Depending on your light pollution will decide on ease of observing.
Ron
80mm aperture is certainly enough to see Andromeda mate.
The trick is to avoid those bright lights in the north you describe. From a good to very good sky it is naked eye.
Make sure you use the lowest possible power (magnification) because M31 is very, very, very big and most of it has very low surface brightness. If you have binocs, it might be best to find it in the binocs first. Use the attached chart. It is a "true" chart looking north. South is up and west is to the left.
Locate the Great Square of Pegasus first and work you way to Andromeda from that. You will see a line from Beta drawn through Mu Andromedae points straight at it.
I agree with Les, M31 is very very very big, actually I prefer to view it with
my 20x80's due to it's size. And I think it looks better than in my 8" newt.
True rob my best view of M31 was through your 20 x 80s
the small light dome from casino even seemed to help in that it
looked like it was hung there there in the night all by itself .
A very sureal moment that I still vividly think back to ..and all in a humble pair of 80 mm binos
Try spotting it naked eye. Pretty easy from a reasonably dark sky. Then wonder at the fact that this is the furtherest steady "object" most people can see naked eye!
I saw it for the first time at Astrofest through 10x50 bino's... was quite easy to see in that field of view... I have tried from home with no success due to the neighbors house being very well lit... and right in the way.
Do I have any chance of seeing Andromeda
