35 replies to this topic

[Piggyback]

Last evening I packed my gear for a short drive to my favorite observing spot. At 10pm the moon was to show the famed X and Y feature and I was quite hopeful to catch it with my Telementor. It wasn't going to happen. Within minutes a frontal system moved in effectively blocking my view. The skies must hate me as this seems to happen all the time.

 

Thought it a fun idea to let us know what stopped you from having a perfectly good time watching the nightskies. Let it all out!  L. B. THE RANT IS ON!

[zoso916]

I couldn't observe because it was a cloudy night.

[steve t]

I couldn't observe because it was a cloudy night.

Same here in SW Ohio. I wasn't even able to get a peek at the sun during the day

[Jethro7]

Hello Piggyback,

The usual stuff, lack of Transparency and poor Seeing with a thin layer of cloud cover. You know It is pretty bad,  when the Moon is twinkling. 

 

HAPPIER SKIES AND KEEP LOOKING UP Jethro

Edited by Jethro7, 05 August 2022 - 10:33 AM.

[mabeard]

Sun came up

[SoCalPaul]

Bike crash, three broken ribs, can't lift anything just yet. :-(

 

But soon!

 

Paul

[zoso916]

Bike crash, three broken ribs, can't lift anything just yet. :-(

 

But soon!

 

Paul

I seemed to have developed a greater appreciation for a cloudy night. Hope you feel better soon.

[SoCalPaul]

I seemed to have developed a greater appreciation for a cloudy night. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you!

 

Paul

[Paul Sweeney]

Hi Piggyback
I was also out with a 60mm Tasco last night, and I got clouded out. I did see the X and (to me) V, but most of the time I was watching clouds. Then I looked for stuff through holes in the clouds, and finally Saturn, just rising, was the only thing still visible I went out at 10, and by 11 I was back in.

[Piggyback]

Hi Piggyback
I was also out with a 60mm Tasco last night, and I got clouded out. I did see the X and (to me) V, but most of the time I was watching clouds. Then I looked for stuff through holes in the clouds, and finally Saturn, just rising, was the only thing still visible I went out at 10, and by 11 I was back in.

Hit the wrong key on my computer. It's known as the X and V for sure. Here's a shot from June 6th with my Telementor.

 

[Piggyback]

June 6th I had given up hope to watch the X and V phenomenon as a solid cloud cover had persisted all day long. When darkness fell at 10pm, patches of clear sky appeared and I rushed to point my Zeiss Telementor at the terminator. I had fitted a 4-barrel Zeiss prism revolver and pointing the Canon G5X against my trusty Zeiss 6mm Ortho I managed to click away a couple good shots. Lots of detail in what is called Aries hoofprint visible on the right side of the V. It stayed clear for just half an hour before a frontal system moved in. I was lucky that time.

[TracerBullet]

Just took my first scope out of the box and put it together last night.

[SoCalPaul]

Just took my first scope out of the box and put it together last night.

Awesome, congratulations.

 

And good job finding CN, that was a PRO move lol!

 

Paul

[Terra Nova]

Here it’s clouds, rain, and oppressive humidity. I can’t decide if it feels more like Borneo or Panama (I’ve been to both)!

[clamchip]

The sky has been absolutely fabulous, and I've been going out until I can't stand the mosquitoes

any longer.

I switched to a 4 inch f/10 alt/az so I can pack up fast and get myself in the house.

I did a little reading, and you know the old saying, "know thy enemy" They say our mosquito season

here in Seattle had been extended a month due to the favorable conditions. 

Mosquitoes are attracted to red, and we all use red lights don't we. They are active dusk to dawn.

They can make you sick, especially risky now is West Nile Virus.

I don't want smoking deterrents while I'm trying to observe, and I don't want greasy lotions or sprays.

Bounce dryer sheets rubbed on your exposed parts is something I may try.

Otherwise as it stands, the price to observe at my house is a pint of Blood !

 

Robert

[oldmanastro]

The awful Saharan dust plumes, clouds and both dust and clouds. This has been the norm through July and will continue in August. This summer has been even worse that last year's with more Saharan dust days where transparency is so low that Vega looks like a third magnitude star. I can deal with the heat and humidity plus the ever present mosquitoes. That's the way it is on this eastern corner of the Caribbean.

[rcwolpert]

Here it’s clouds, rain, and oppressive humidity. I can’t decide if it feels more like Borneo or Panama (I’ve been to both)!

Ditto! Plus the mosquitoes and noseeums are having their mealtime.

[Terra Nova]

Ditto! Plus the mosquitoes and noseeums are having their mealtime.

Yep. I seem to have more noseeums than skeeters. Their bite burns and itches but thankfully goes completely away in twenty or thirty minutes.

[zoso916]

Just took my first scope out of the box and put it together last night.

Welcome to CN. Buying a new telescope will make it cloudy for a solid month. Proven fact, just ask anybody on here. What did you get? 

[CHASLX200]

Did not feel like it. Maybe Sat morning...

[Chad7531]

I took my scope out of the A/C and into the 90% humidity and everything instantly fogged up. No dew heaters or fans on this one either. Hopefully it clears up. It’s been 20 minutes and it’s still getting worse instead of better.

Edited by Chad7531, 05 August 2022 - 07:39 PM.

[davebuechler]

Same thing that stopped me the night before… rain. It’s still monsoon season. Dang, it’s a long one this year.

[Dave Cook]

We're having monsoon humidity here in San Diego with accompanying clouds.  Sadly no rain here at the coast but there have been some t-storms inland.

 

Also it's daytime and I've been working on my scope again

[ccwemyss]

It’s 3000 miles away from where I am. Grab’n go doesn’t help when you’re already up’n gone. 
 

Chip W.

[Kasmos]

It's been June Gloom (marine layer) here pretty much all summer. Once and a while I'd get caught off guard when it would clear late in the evening but it was always too late to get started. Last night it looked OK so for the first time I got about 15 minutes in on Saturn, then it clouded up. It only took about 5 minutes to put everything away and when I came out of the garage it was completely clear! No problem since the seeing was unstable and I was tired. Tonight it's very clear but way too windy.