| Bowmoreman |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/08/09 04:34 PM |
|
Re: Is orange Zone 5 bad???
|
Quote:Quote:
I can't understand those who confine their viewing only to optimal sky conditions. While I've always subscribed to the maxim "quality over quantity," I can't imagine applying it to my viewing habits.
I can not imagine observing under poor to average conditions. I would much rather have a few great nights per month than a dozen ho-hum nights. There's plenty of times I've been out with poor atmospheric conditions only to find myself packing up a half hour later. Why bother? After all,I bought a telescope to "see" things. When conditions are bad, and I can't see what I want to see,why waste my time? I want quality views and because of that I have to pay the price. It's worth it as the satisfaction lasts much longer than with cheap views.
Don
And this, Don, is precisely why I love having my observatory, even if it is in the middle of the "Orange Zone" of Metrowest Boston (My SQMs are around 19.95 to 20.25 depending on night, time, etc... less during "moon events" of course!)...
Because even if conditions ARE "marginal" I can get in a quick "fix" with virtually no effort... 2 minutes from leaving my back door to viewing - well maybe 3!
And shutdown is even faster...
Plus, when conditions are NOT optimal, that is when my Mallincam REALLY can come into play; it nicely drills right through murk and (light) cloudiness.
For me, it's all about having the right tools for the "job at hand"...
do I wish I lived under SQM 21+ skies - oh yeah! Can I "live" with SQM 20 (+/-) yeah... Am I happy I'm not in SQM 18-19 - Yep...
View what you can, whenever you can... that's my motto... and why I sign off with
Clear ENOUGH skies