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Old 14-02-2012, 11:01 PM
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Paul Haese
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Paul Haese is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Adelaide
Posts: 9,944
Forget skippy sky, I will state right here and I have years of documented proof that it is never right for seeing. I do mean never. It is seldom right for cloud cover, but that is another story. Nice idea, just the base data is not accurate.

Predictors for Adelaide area are often wrong as a whole. Some of the ones I use that are moderately accurate are

WXMaps

Unisys

Wundermaps use the shear plot under Model Data. This is pretty accurate.

Use these as a guide but the reality is looking for yourself through the eyepiece. Ensure that your scope is at ambient before assessing the seeing. Often people make assesments of seeing with a scope that has 3 or so hours of natural cooling and this is clearly not enough. Ambient active cooling is another topic but essential for seeing assessments and getting the most out of your optics. Bird and myself have discussed this here and elsewhere.

Greg has highlighted well the topographic factors for seeing. Southerly winds whilst viewing on the plains is not good for seeing. Good if you are south of the range though. Ray in Ardrossan gets good seeing when he gets easterly or south easterly winds. I get good seeing when a high pressure sits over the top of me and sometimes when mild southerlies pass over the ranges.

Overall though the best indicator for a chance of good seeing is when a high pressure lobs over directly over your observing position. Wind movement will mostly be non existent and the jet stream will be forced away from the high pressure.

Being a planetary imager I have spent years researching and discussing weather with most of the well noted planetary imagers here and abroad. Most would agree that the presence of a high is your best chance of getting good seeing, but often it can just come down to blind luck. Keep an eye on the sky and best of luck.

PS Read up on Damian Peaches site too for some good articles on seeing. My site and Birds site have tutorials on active cooling of optics. Also remember that the bureau cannot predict seeing even with the super computers they possess. The more I watch the weather the more I think luck and persistence pays off to viewing good seeing.
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