Rug up Canberrans!

[LewisM]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

I was born in Moscow and lived there for 25 years. I must admit it does get below -30 but not very often.
I read Russian astronomy forums and it always amazes me how such frost doesn't stop folk from stargazing for the whole night.

My wife is from Sharypovo - lived in Krasnoyarsk for most of her teens then Moscow for work. She can't stand the cold.

The winter I first went to Moscow was the coldest winter in 30 years. I'll never forget it.

[Camelopardalis (Dunk)]

The only good reason I can think of to endure sub zero temps are for astro IMO

Anything else is just fooling yourself

[Morgenstern (Alex)]

Originally Posted by PCH

OMG! Why would anyone put themselves through that?

I know, right? Also, there's lots of amateur astronomers living in St.Petersburg (further north) where the sun doesn't get 18 degrees below horizon during 5 months a year (so you can't effectively observe DSO) and there's much fewer clear sky nights compared to what Australia offers us

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

The coldest I've ever experienced was minus 8 at RAAF Base at East Sale Victoria.....on the Airstrip at 2am in the early hours of the morning watching foxes chasing bunny rabbits thru' the heavy mist.

I had no traction on the Airstrip ... the RAAF Combie Van would just sit and spin the back wheels on the ' icey ' Runway.

I had to very gently ease the throttle down and slowly to get going ....I went down to the ' piano keys ' at the other end of the Airstrip and got stuck on some ' ice ' covered grass while turning around to go back.

Had to call the ' Service Police ' to tow me back to the Guard House.

I was given the ' please explain ' treatment by the MP's .....I was instructed to check the F-111C's ( on detachment ) every hour on the hour, as it was my turn to come on duty.

The other ' Lad's ' almost had the same predicament as me..... they said next time don't go off the runway... turn around on the strip , not the grass.

This was about 1974 ...

Lesson learnt

[pgc hunter]

I thought it was cold observing in Melbourne in winter, until I moved here.

These shots were taken last June from my observing site about 20km north of town: