I forget if I ever asked you this, but do you have Space Engine on your computer?
i heard through an astronomer i used to know that it takes hours of paperwork and many weeks of waiting just to get a few hours in an observatory. I don't know if anything changed but that's got to suck.
I definitely recommend you give it a look into. Really comprehensive program and it's free too. A lot of fun to just go to distant planets and galaxies and explore.