74 replies to this topic

[The_boots]

Last night I was sitting outside with my brand new mount and an almost completely empty sky, with the first clear night in weeks blocked by smoke, and the next two expected to be the same.

But at that point, I realized that I was staring at trees that were NOT on fire, and not everyone can say that. It's ridiculous to complain at murky skies when there are people who can't even be in their homes as the fire threatens.

And so if any of you are in Manitoba and Saskatchewan or are otherwise threatened by the wild fires, know that there are people out here praying for your safety and well-being. Be safe!

[Cpk133]

We’ll be lucky if we can avoid a similar fate with 3 million acres of trees decimated by freezing rain in northern MI this year.

[PKDfan]

In Edmonton yesterday was the first indication of smoke yellowing the sky and despite that had good seeing for lunar observing but with a slight tint.

The smell is not yet deep enough to noticeably make an impression like last couple of years when the air was thick with smoke for several days (to weeks) whenever the wind is calm.

Yes lets all pray for the safety of both life and peoples homes wherever the fires are.

Despite praying for clear steady skies a major deluge is what i'm hoping for now to those most affected.


Lance

[Magnum45hp]

I am in North Central Arkansas and have haze during the day and night. Only the brightest stars can be seen and the moon looks like a dim headlight. Noticed this the past week. Clear Sky Chart does not show us covered but it is as said. 

[The_boots]

We’ll be lucky if we can avoid a similar fate with 3 million acres of trees decimated by freezing rain in northern MI this year.

Let's hope that doesn't happen... Really we do this to ourselves-- most of the fires right now are confirmed human-caused. 

 

EDIT: After some more research, it seems Canada says that about 50% of their fires are caused by lightning and not people, although it varies from year to year. (source: https://calgaryheral...tes-june-2-2025 )

Edited by The_boots, 02 June 2025 - 02:52 PM.

[vsteblina]

It is not just Canada.

 

The summer prediction for the US is pretty awful.  And its just starting up.  August and September look real bad.

 

https://thehotshotwa...-season-outlook

[pstarr]

It used to be just lights, now if it's not constant smoke from fires every year, its jets spraying whatever and turning the sky white. May in NE Ohio was cold and rainy to boot. 

[mountain monk]

It is not just Canada.

 

The summer prediction for the US is pretty awful.  And its just starting up.  August and September look real bad.

 

https://thehotshotwa...-season-outlook

 

It is not just Canada.

 

The summer prediction for the US is pretty awful.  And its just starting up.  August and September look real bad.

 

https://thehotshotwa...-season-outlook

Gee, you ruined my day. Looks grim. I didn’t know about that website though, so thanks.

 

Dark, clear, calm skies.  Jack

[NinePlanets]

It's been smoky in the Western U.S. every summer since about 2000. I think 2002 is when it really kicked in.

Edited by NinePlanets, 03 June 2025 - 02:00 PM.

[vsteblina]

The era of the mega-fires really started in 1986.  Some argue that the mega-fire era started with the Yellowstone fires of 1988.

 

The fires were real bad in eastern Washington starting in 1987. 

 

What really has changed is that smoke period is much extended and starts sooner.

 

Here is the fire history for the western US since 2000.  There were significant fires in the time period 1986-1999.

 

The frame shows the largest county in Washington state and burned area since 2000.  

 

from Wikipedia "According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,312.7 square miles (13,760 km2), of which 5,266.2 square miles (13,639 km2) is land and 46.5 square miles (120 km2) (0.9%) is water.[10] It is the largest county in the state by area, and it is larger than three states in land area.[11]

 

https://caltopo.com/...t&a=fire_recent

 

Scroll around the map and look at the acreage burned and forests habitats destroyed since 2000.  It is sobering.

[GrassLakeRon]

"That's great is starts with a hurricane,birds,snakes, an airplanes, Lenny Bruce is not afraid."

[NinePlanets]

This photo fits in with the topic.

I took this from one of my usual observing sites at 10,000 feet altitude in 2020, looking south into Colorado. Here you can the pyrocumulous plumes from 3 big fires at once. The pink/brown haze layer across the width of the view is the smoke from a 4th fire to the west, out of the frame to the right - near the Utah border, if I remember correctly. In spite of the layer, it was pretty good transparency that night when viewing from about 45 degrees up toward zenith.

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[vsteblina]

Here is the update from Canada....it is ugly.

 

https://thehotshotwa...st-as-wildfires

 

The basic substack account if your interested in following the fire situation this summer is here:

 

https://thehotshotwakeup.substack.com/

 

And, of course, the "SIT" report for updates on wildland fires within the US on a daily basis:

 

https://www.nifc.gov...es/sitreprt.pdf

[The_boots]

Crap. Glad to see US crews have shipped out to help. We need all hands in times like these.

[NinePlanets]

On the list it appears the Aussies are even coming!

[happylimpet]

This photo fits in with the topic.

I took this from one of my usual observing sites at 10,000 feet altitude in 2020, looking south into Colorado. Here you can the pyrocumulous plumes from 3 big fires at once. The pink/brown haze layer across the width of the view is the smoke from a 4th fire to the west, out of the frame to the right - near the Utah border, if I remember correctly. In spite of the layer, it was pretty good transparency that night when viewing from about 45 degrees up toward zenith.

pyrocumulous. Theres a word I didnt know and wish we didnt need.

[NinePlanets]

Yeah. Pyrocumulous. 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[NinePlanets]

Here's another example of pyrocumulous (next fire to the south).

 

 

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[The_boots]

On the list it appears the Aussies are even coming!

It takes a special kind of crazy to come to the other side of the world to literally charge into an inferno bigger than some entire countries. We're incredibly lucky that crazy like that exists.

Just a thought for those who are inclined and able:
https://give.redcros.../25MWA?_lang=en

[mountain monk]

Another example--a Gros Ventre Range wildfire east of Jackson Hole last summer. Alas, that's where I observe.

Dark, clear, calm skies.

Jack

Edited by mountain monk, 04 June 2025 - 12:26 PM.

[Chris MN]

I'll chime in from Minnesota (north of Minneapolis).  The smoke this last week has been relentless.  This is starting to become a pattern here almost every summer now for the last few years (although last year wasn't too bad). And it lasts for weeks not just a day or two.  

 

Between the constant high, thin clouds and the smoke, the number of my imaging sessions has dropped dramatically the last few years. I know my C11 does not get the usage from imaging it used to years ago.  And now I'm retired so I have the time just not the skies!

 

I still use "old" gear- a 2005 ST- 8XME.  Still works fine.  I thought about getting new gear but with only probably 30 good nights a year now (if that), I couldn't justify the expense and hassle of change.  I now use the C11 visually more than imaging since I can sneak in some time during the brief clear skies between clouds.

 

So far this year, I have managed only 4 imaging sessions.  For those of you who have (astronomically) clear skies, don't take them for granted.  Appreciate every dark sky minute.

 

"Hats off" to the wildfire firefighters.  That's one tough job for sure.

 

Chris N

[Inkie]

To remember that humans are affected in other ways than just inconvenience, my daughter and son-in-law's remote cabin on Lac La Ronge burned to the ground yesterday.  A neighbour ran his boat past their property to take a look and found only the dock smoldering in the water.  The town of La Ronge is badly damaged, the marina was overrun, and the airport is a disaster, so no fire-fighting water bombers can stage from there. 

Edited by Inkie, 04 June 2025 - 02:03 PM.

[mountain monk]

Indeed, but there is enough room for compassion for both those who lose property and those who lose the opportunity to observe the cosmos, not to mention the many other beings who are lost.

 

Dark, clear, calm skies.

 

Jack

[CowTipton]

I use the College of Dupage website for GOES Satellite images almost daily just to check for cloud cover and smoke.

Pretty remarkable imagery right now.

 

https://weather.cod....orbar=undefined

[MeteorBoy]

I lived in several of these same communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and visited others now threatened.  No fires at the times I was there.

 

However, while I was living in Moosonee on James Bay, the town was threatened by nearby fires.  We were instructed that if the winds did not change direction overnight that the townspeople were to take shelter at the airfield by morning (no forests there) where we would then be flown out.  I went to sleep in my house that night watching the not so distant red glow of the fires from my windows not knowing what might happen.  In the morning the winds changed direction saving the town.

 

There really needs to be a better way of dealing with these fires.