Attempt #2. Sometimes this forum loses my posts.....
Yesterday, after a long day of household jobs, including plumbing troubles under the kitchen sink, I finally had my chance to set out a telescope and look forward to an evening of observing. It was just after Sunset, wth Venus still high enough to be visible from our front garden.
Another minor household matter delayed things a while, but finally I trained my scope on the Evening Star. Not much to report, save for a wobbly Gibbous disc, but it was the first time I had tried the 5" refractor on this target. My appreciation was short lived, as a could promptly rolled over form an otherwise clear sky. No matter, I swung to Jupiter, readily visible in the twilight sky. There was just time to change eyepieces and note the positions of the Galilean moons when - Boom - clouded view again. Not only that, I could feel dampness, and see a larger could bank making its way over the mountain. I'd hoped to leave the setup ready for more exploration after dinner, but ended up striking camp for fear of rain.
There was no rain, but cloud overtook the whole sky by the time Icould look out again.
Today, a very promising clear day turned grey in the mid afternoon, and a few drops of rain fell after dark.
My Astro patience is being sorely tried...
Clear skies to the rest of you :)
Perspicilliae: Celestron C8 Schmidt-Cassegrain, Meade AR-5 Refractor, Orion SkyviewPro 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain, Celestron 114EQ "FirstScope" Newtonion Assorted accessories
I share your pain!!! I work 2nd shift so only have my weekends to to any REAL observing. Wouldn't you know it, clear all week and when my weekend rolls along, cloudy and dismal! LOL Hang in there!
Celestron 8 SCT F/10 to 7.5 to 6.3-C-GEM Mount-Starizona Power Pack II+-Bahatinov Focus Mask-Canon Rebel XS 1000D 10.1 MP-Nexguide Auto Guider-Orion Short Tube 80mm Guide Scope- Baader Planetarium UHC-S/L-Booster visual/photographic 2"-Capture Software Backyard EOS-Deep Sky Stacker-Adobe Photoshop/Registax 6 for post work
Sometimes it hardly seems worth it, does it? I think we all know what it is to spend time setting up the telescope under a clear sky only to have cloud rush in before we've really even begun to observe. It is a hobby that tries patience, but perhaps it is also one which helps us to develop patience too. (Trying to see the glass as half full - not entirely convincingly.)
Aratus
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Celestron Nexstar8i (8" SCT).
Celestron Skymaster binoculars 15x70
Other:0.63 & 0.33 correctors. X2 & X4 barlow.
Imagers: Meade DSI & Celestron NexImage. Canon EOS 550D
Filters. UHC, OIII, Wratten 12, 21, 25, 38A, 47, 56, 58A, 80A. Solar filter.
Aratus I think we all know what it is to spend time setting up the telescope under a clear sky only to have cloud rush in before we've really even begun to observe.
I think we all know what it is to spend time setting up the telescope under a clear sky only to have cloud rush in before we've really even begun to observe.
Definitely so. I can remember spending forty five minutes to an hour setting up my telescope and imaging equipment, only to have clouds move in and ruin what had teased of being a perfectly clear night.
"Good friends are like stars, you don't always see them, but you know they're always there."
kevinbozard.com
Equipment (so far): C6R-GT, C 80ED, Orion XT8, Orion XT10, Coronado PST, Zhumell 20x80 Binos
It is a hobby demanding patience in lots of ways...
Patience to wait for a clear night
Patience to wait for good seeing
Patience to wait for the desired moon phase
Patience to wait for a favourite object/constellation in the sky
I'm sure there are more... and this actually makes it a good hobby. In the right frame of mind, one can appreciate things more when they are not readily and instantly accessible.
Perhaps it is the same with what one can actually see when visual observing. If you could simply set up any telescope and see the equivalent of "Hubble" images instantly, would it hold our interest in the same way?
Ed Holland It is a hobby demanding patience in lots of ways... Patience to wait for a clear night Patience to wait for good seeing Patience to wait for the desired moon phase Patience to wait for a favourite object/constellation in the sky I'm sure there are more... and this actually makes it a good hobby. In the right frame of mind, one can appreciate things more when they are not readily and instantly accessible. Perhaps it is the same with what one can actually see when visual observing. If you could simply set up any telescope and see the equivalent of "Hubble" images instantly, would it hold our interest in the same way?
BINGO
Ed... you think you got it bad?...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Summer_in_a_Day
RayM0506 I share your pain!!! I work 2nd shift so only have my weekends to to any REAL observing. Wouldn't you know it, clear all week and when my weekend rolls along, cloudy and dismal! LOL Hang in there!
I work second too... It's awesome for some stuff, but sunsets and early evening planets are for weekends only. And there's a 65% chance of rain of at least clouds on the weekends... or so it seems.
Thanks for the link to that story, stars4life.
Astronomy aside, I actually enjoy the rain when it comes to California, but then I'm English - LOL!
stars4life, it has been years since I last read that story by Ray Bradbury (who is originally from my hometown); it's one of my favorites--and I've read them all. Thanks for the reminder that it's time to find my copy and enjoy it again.
Ed, your catalog of necessary patience for the astronomer is spot on! Despite having better skies more frequently if I moved to the arid SW, I'd miss the four seasons if I ever left the north. And that includes rain!
Kathleen
Celestron C6 R-GT with CG5 GT mount, Pentax 10 x 50 binoculars, Monolux 60-mm refractor
You got that right, Kathleen! Even though I've lived in the SW my whole life, it's hard to be too bummed about rain here in Phoenix as we don't get it that often. What's irritating is when it's cloudy, but we still don't get rain. I'll give up an observing session most of time for a little rain, but not dry clouds! Though, as I've said before, I really am spoiled with good weather, no dew problems, clear dry and stable skies, etc., so I really shouldn't complain... especially after reading what so many of the members here go through - such as "5 minutes straight". Condolences Ed.
-Ed
Keep on Gazing! (33N X 112W Phoenix, AZ - Clear Sky Chart)
It looks better tonight - and our situation here leaves me with far more clear nights and better skies than I used to get when growing up in th UK.
I wanted to do more astronomy back then but good telescopes were far, far out of reach, the skies were orange with sodium vapour street lighting and our situation di not offer a good view of the sky. Now I'm in heaven, with good heavens, and fortunate enough to have nice things to use to view them