God damn weather

strongmanmike (Michael) · #1 27-02-2015, 02:00 PM

and now the Moon....

...that's all, just wanted to vent

Mike

LewisM · #2 27-02-2015, 02:03 PM

Stop yer whining Michael! Come live in Tropical South East Queensland, where a monsoon and nocturnal cloud cover is guaranteed for 2.999 months of summer...

rustigsmed (Russell) · #3 27-02-2015, 02:06 PM

agreed Mike

its been a really bad run.

RickS (Rick) · #4 27-02-2015, 02:09 PM

The whole summer has been crap up here in Brisvegas

codemonkey (Lee) · #5 27-02-2015, 02:13 PM

Yep, I haven't imaged since November due to terrible whether and the few clear spots coinciding with being away for work or various other things. The problem is now I have an EQ8 and nothing to put it in just yet, and it's too damned heavy to set up and take down all the time. Hopefully I can build most of its new home on the weekend and I can finally take it for a real drive.

rustigsmed (Russell) · #6 27-02-2015, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codemonkey

Yep, I haven't imaged since November due to terrible whether and the few clear spots coinciding with being away for work or various other things. The problem is now I have an EQ8 and nothing to put it in just yet, and it's too damned heavy to set up and take down all the time. Hopefully I can build most of its new home on the weekend and I can finally take it for a real drive.

yep its a heavy one alright. unfortunately the other day I had to move mine in one go (tripod and mount) I couldn't find the hex key to separate and rain was on the way. 35 metres some stairs/thongs my plan was to do about 10 metres at a time, but that went out the window realising I wouldn't be able to lift it again if I put it down

good luck with the build!

strongmanmike (Michael) · #7 27-02-2015, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

Stop yer whining Michael! Come live in Tropical South East Queensland, where a monsoon and nocturnal cloud cover is guaranteed for 2.999 months of summer...

Yeah but you're used to it, ya don't know any different

Besides, the winter there is the opposite...so you can gloat then

Mike

julianh72 (Julian) · #8 27-02-2015, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickS

The whole summer has been crap up here in Brisvegas

What's really annoying is how often in the past couple of months I have looked out the window at about 8:00 pm to see 70% cloud-free skies,and think "Great!"

15 minutes later, I have my scope set-up, and the cloud cover has increased to 90% - it's amazing how fast it can cloud-over when it's 70%+ humidity and mid-twenties temperature!

codemonkey (Lee) · #9 27-02-2015, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustigsmed

yep its a heavy one alright. unfortunately the other day I had to move mine in one go (tripod and mount) I couldn't find the hex key to separate and rain was on the way. 35 metres some stairs/thongs my plan was to do about 10 metres at a time, but that went out the window realising I wouldn't be able to lift it again if I put it down

good luck with the build!

lol! That would have been a sight. I couldn't carry it in one piece if I tried, that'd weigh as much as I do, even without an OTA or counterweights.

My slab is about 350m away from the house which makes it more difficult as well. Last time I left one set up near the house my OTA got invaded by ants that built a nest in it... so many ants up near the house.

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

Yeah but you're used to it, ya don't know any different

Besides, the winter there is the opposite...so you can gloat then

Mike

Not for me! Winter where I am means the fog comes in

LewisM · #10 27-02-2015, 10:15 PM

Go climb a mountain like Nettie

Howard (Howard) · #11 27-02-2015, 10:20 PM

Sorry everyone ... it's my fault! My new scope was delivered and it's been cloudy and raining ever since. So much so I haven't had a chance to use it. So as daughter just started a teaching position in central Qld and it's been c**p weather here in Brissie I drove up to visit her and took the scope up with me ... that's when cyclone Marcia started. Can't win.

el_draco (Rom) · #12 27-02-2015, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strongmanmike

and now the Moon....

...that's all, just wanted to vent

Mike

Maaatee....... Try Hobart!!!

Robert9 (Robert) · #13 28-02-2015, 10:54 AM

Melbourne's no better !@#$%^&**

Robert

pgc hunter · #14 28-02-2015, 11:19 AM

Absolute pus heap of a crummer here. Both in terms of temps and cloud. I remember LOTS of cold wintry days/nights/mornings with our infamous maritime low cloud infecting the sky. Actually planning to move to Mildura within this year once I finish my course.

As is traditional this season, May has come early. http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml

Herp de derp

Baddad (Marty) · #15 28-02-2015, 11:25 AM

HOWARD,

You thoughtless person. Buying a new scope when Monsoons threaten SE Qld. I wondered who was responsible.
Consider yourself to have your toes pulled and the target of many nasty names. LOL

Just as well you 'fessed up. I would have let loose a real tirade of name calling.

What scope did you get? I hope the conditions improve for you.

Cheers

marc4darkskies (Marcus) · #16 28-02-2015, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LewisM

Stop yer whining Michael! Come live in Tropical South East Queensland, where a monsoon and nocturnal cloud cover is guaranteed for 2.999 months of summer...

Quote:

Originally Posted by julianh72

What's really annoying is how often in the past couple of months I have looked out the window at about 8:00 pm to see 70% cloud-free skies,and think "Great!"

15 minutes later, I have my scope set-up, and the cloud cover has increased to 90% - it's amazing how fast it can cloud-over when it's 70%+ humidity and mid-twenties temperature!

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgc hunter

Absolute pus heap of a crummer here. Both in terms of temps and cloud.

LUXURY!!! (link) It's so bad here at night I need scuba gear to get through the humidity and into the observatory. It's cloudy 32 days a month and 25 hours a day and the clouds are so thick I can reach up and touch them! And when it's clear (once every 11 years) the sky is so transparent and the moon is so bright that you'll start tanning in 10 minutes. ...

... Gosh darn it!!!

xelasnave · #17 28-02-2015, 12:55 PM

I thank the weather.
It has driven my astronomy from photography bias to observation.
I grasp the small window to observe rather than to take many frames.
And so I am happy to observe rather than capture.
I mean really what can you do given the weather...
I find even if it's clear the moisture is still there keeping gear dry is a major problem...so grab the binnos and get out there for a moment..
But one must be patient..I have had runs of 5 nights imaging ..all night each night..but not for a while now...so I rationalise.. 5 minutes with binnos at least gets you out there.

And getting out there is the ultimate experience..in my view.
Be happy with what you can get..getting out there is indeed the ultimate priceless..never take it for granted.

speach (Simon) · #18 01-03-2015, 08:51 AM

I've noticed here that as the moon get full the clouds go! Or is it just my impression?

creeksky (Pete) · #19 01-03-2015, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speach

I've noticed here that as the moon get full the clouds go! Or is it just my impression?

I think you are correct.
Maybe China has placed a telescope on the moon or in it's orbit to observe the Earth?

pmrid (Peter) · #20 01-03-2015, 10:54 AM

Although nothing quite beats a good venting, the grim reality is that of recent years, this has been the pattern of the summer months and there seems to be a strong likelihood that this will continue and perhaps worsen. Late Autumn through late Spring is, however, generally alright to good over most of Australia with the exception perhaps of Tasmania (I will defer to local knowledge on that one).

It makes the idea of remote telescopes in the places like Sierra Nevada or the high Atacama desert start to look appealing - even sensible. I've spent the past 5 months tinkering with equipment - fixing some, breaking others, inventing wild and wooly solutions to non-existent problems. If I were to add up the $$ I've wasted in that sort of pursuit, I could probably have bought a Tak106.

Next summer, I think I'll just mothball all the equipment in the obs, lock the door and ignore it entirely until about the end of March. Heaven knows what I'll do with all that spare time and disposable income. Hah!!!

Peter