I'm sorry Melbourne

[Eggmoon]

I'm sorry fellow Melbornians.... the current not-good star gazing weather is my fault. :(

I bought a new scope.... therefore, weather will be bad for at LEAST a week.

I'm sure you are all aware of the new-scope-poor-weather-paradox.

It will, of course, clear up enough on the first day I am not available to star gaze... so watch for Thursday night when I have a meeting at the Hockey club... and it will likely be good.

Geoff.

[04Stefan07]

Clear night tonight however the seeing conditions look terrible!

I saw a lot of smoke haze when driving home tonight, must be because of that.

[RB]

No, never heard of it Geoff, is it like Shrodringer's cat?

:lol:

[MortonH]

At least tell us what the new scope is! ;)

[Reichter]

I was thinking the same thing! I bought two new scopes and the weather is just crap. looks like two weeks of horrible weather for me. =(

[alpal]

I have wanted to sell my equipment many times because the skies are so cloudy in Melbourne.

[Atmos]

Maybe what we need to organise is a 12 month embargo on the buying of all astronomical equipment within the Greater Melbourne area :P

[alpal]

Very funny,

I read somewhere of someone who set up an observatory on Mt Macedon -
a few hours drive North of Melbourne -
and after one year of only 9 nights with reasonable seeing they
moved the observatory to a better location outside of Victoria.

It makes me glad that I didn't spend $100,000 on astro equipment here.

[Atmos]

Macedon isn't too far away, about an hour or so. I have a property up in Heathcote where I do eventually want to get something up and running. The problem is The Great Divide, whether you are north or south of it. Heathcote is pretty well north of The Great Divide so it tends to have more clear skies, Macedon is in the Divide so it can be fickle. I had actually considered Ballarat as a location but it is on the south side of the Divide so it gets considerably more cloudy nights than Heathcote.

[alpal]

Probably the best plan is to set up your scope on one of those rent a scope sites near Siding Springs -
where you can get very cheap rates if you use your own equipment &
there is someone to help if a screw comes loose or any other problem.
It's a bit hard to do with a Newt. though - if not impossible.

[rustigsmed]

At least you chose a week with full moon, nice

[Eggmoon]

Was the least I could do.....

The new scope by the way is the one listed as 2) in my signature. Nice new NEQ6PRO with an 8" Newt on it.

Go away clouds!!!! And smoke. And wind. And dew. And wife..... err... just kidding hun! ;)

[strongmanmike]

I'm placing $10 on the nose that you have your first fully clear night next full moon and $5 each way on a social event clashing, which causes a domestic dispute and sees you feigning illness so you can stay home :P

Mike

[Eggmoon]

You are a cruel, cruel man..... :(

[skysailor]

That's why I'm looking at properties North of Mansfield.
cheers