Long Nights and Clear Skies

[glenc]

Where do you have to go to get Clear Skies and Long Nights?

Take a look at the cloud cover maps for May to September at 9am and 3pm.
http://www.bom.gov.au/jsp/ncc/climate_averages/cloud/index.jsp?maptype=1&period=dry#maps
Darwin and Brisbane are the best capitals.

and the solar exposure for the last 6 months
http://www.bom.gov.au/web03/ncc/www/awap/solar/solarave/6month/colour/latest.hres.gif
Not Tassie

[Wavytone]

For the next 6 months you'll need to be north of the equator to get long nights !

It's more complicated than those maps too. For a start the night-time cloud cover is quite different to to the day-time maps because the heating effect of the sun and, along the eastern seaboard, sea breezes have a significant contribution too. Then there's fog to consider.

Lastly there's also a weak correlation between nighttime cloud cover and the phase of the moon; cloud is more likely between third quarter and new moon than if is first quarter to full.

The BOM cloud cover maps are a start but not all that helpful.

[pgc hunter]

I'd say that map is quite accurate for Melbourne and the overcast dregs of southern Victoria.

[tlgerdes]

The problem with those maps is that is tell me where it has been, not where it is going to be tomorrow night, or in 2 weeks time :D

[jjjnettie]

It sure helps to be on the other side of that range.
It can be cloudy and rainy at Ron's place at Kenilworth, and here in Kilcoy, less than 40 clicks away it will be clear as a bell.

[2stroke]

Polar caps XD plenty of long nights hahah, sure as hell not melbourne.

[pgc hunter]

Skippysky IMO is super for predicting cloud 24-48 hours out.

Melbourne - that's where all astronomers who have been naughty in a previous life are sent to.

[glenc]

SkippySky is excellent. Thanks Andrew Cool.
http://www.skippysky.com.au/Australia/