All Clear in SEQ

[jjjnettie]

They've predicted some excellent weather for us over the next few days.:jump:
Clear skies, cool nights and for us in the west, frosty mornings.:cold:
I can't wait. :D :clap::clap::clap::camera:

[h0ughy]

top stuff JJJ - the seeing wasnt good here last night - but it did get darker than usual

[AstralTraveller]

Looks like it's been pretty good along the whole east coast. :thumbsup: Last Sat was good and I'm hoping it will hold out until next Sat. A few nice sunspots would be great too, but that's being greedy.:)

[madwayne]

Could that have been because of the backburning in the Blue Mountains David? We did get a fairly big southerly change through early last night and that could have blown all that smoke up your way - it was ugly in Sydney yesterday afternoon.

Sorry for the off topic post.

Good luck with the weather jjj and all IISers whether you be at Lostock, SPSP or your favourite viewing/imaging site this weekend.

Wayne

[h0ughy]

thats exactly what happened! you could even smell it and see it in the air

i think the photon collection team in SE QLd will be doing their bit to arrest the loss of photons. Love to see another widefield of the antares region - love that portion of sky.

[jjjnettie]

I hope to capture more data to add to what I've collected so far Dave.
Other items on the menu for the next few days include M83, NGC4945 and the Leo Triplet.
It's killing me that I can't use the RC8 yet.

[h0ughy]

why not?:shrug:

[jjjnettie]

It's a little too heavy and awkward for me to use yet. :sadeyes: Soon though.
But it's in good hands where it is, and I reckon it'll be seeing light tonight.:thumbsup:

[that_guy]

I will cry myself to sleep everyday if I don't find a tripod!! Haven't tested the new 30D on the sky yet!!

[Liz]

Not the whole east coast, alas, clouds have returned up here. :sadeyes:
Good luck and enjoy jjj!!

[supernova1965]

:thumbsup:
I am with Liz it's bloody horrible here complete overcast:mad2::sadeyes: I do hope all you SEQ people really have a great time:thumbsup::D

[asimov]

Yep. I've been waiting patiently for this time of year to arrive! Although it's been clear the majority of nights here in Bundaberg lately, the seeing has been under par for planet imaging. The best seeing will come within the next month or so here.

Make the most of it fellow SE Queenslanders!

[cybereye]

Looking forward to Friday up here on my bit of the basalt ridge here in the southern part of Brisbane - come on clear skies - yeah baby!!:stargaze:

[[1ponders]]

roofs off, powers on! Its cool down time. Hmmmmm to RC or not to RC? That is the question. :D

[RickS]

I picked up a new (2nd hand) mount a couple of weeks back and every time I got outside at night there have been clouds :sadeyes: Perhaps tonight will be better!

[[1ponders]]

Oh its clear Rick :D

[asimov]

It may be clear but the seeing is utter rubbish.

Oh well, bung the scope back in the shed:(

[Suzy]

Gosh and blooming heck! A thick blanket of clouds is rolling in - just as I was going to take the scope out. The skies were cloud free all day up until about 2 hours ago when I last looked. I'm starting learn a new level of patience - plan for bad weather every single day and then if I get lucky with clear skies (2 days out of 60), that's a nice surprise.:rolleyes:

[Jen]

:2thumbs::2thumbs::2thumbs:

Yep all clear here the milky way is just glowing tonight :D;)

But its starting to get a little chilly at night :cold: time to dig out those winter woolies :)

[RickS]

I took a few pics, checked them and noticed the mount wasn't tracking properly, and then the clouds rolled in while I was trying to debug the problem :mad2:

[pgc hunter]

I should be living in NW Victoria. It is a different planet from slushy, rainy wet overcast old Melbourne.

[Omaroo]

Clear as a bell here in southern Sydney... :)

[jjjnettie]

It's a beautiful night up here.
Got all my winter woolies on. LOL
Getting more data to go with my Rho Ophu. from the other night.

[h0ughy]

the seeing was atrocious in newcastle last night, the sky was a milky blue colour and the stars were very soft and hard to focus on, but i did try out my new cooled 40D................ very late after my sons scouts night.....

[astroron]

Went till 01:45 this morning,temp 6.3 Humidity 98% water just running of the scope, seeing fuzzy so gave it away.
It was a great night all the same to be out under the Stars without a cloud in sight, But lightening flashes from the East ,maybe out at sea.
I would hope we have another few nights without the clouds but also without the DEW.
cheers

[AstralTraveller]

Strange, it was really nice down here. But, no, I didn't go out. Astronomy from my backyard is a write-off. I hope the good seeing moves north!

[Suzy]

I think tonight is going to be good!!! :thumbsup:

Today I started consulting my Hygrometer, and the humidity is only on 58% - so as it's very dry at the moment, i'm thinking there shouldn't be any clouds. Does anyone have any success with this method?

[[1ponders]]

Its a beautiful night tonight up here, but after the sun went down the invisible rain clouds must have come in because everything was running with water.

[h0ughy]

low and mid range cloud here- with large gaps

[jjjnettie]

Another fab night here in Kilcoy.
I'm 40min into an imaging run. 2hrs more to go.
The temp is down to 9 degrees. But there is a bit of wind chill going on.
I'm tempted to get out my wooly gloves.
The Milky Way looks glorious!

[Tandum]

Clear cold and still in Brissy. If I had a mount here it would be perfect :(

[pgc hunter]

Full Melbournecast here as usual, but Sat night looks like a goer :D

[jjjnettie]

The temps down to 3.5 degrees. Brrrr
There's a little dew about.

[pgc hunter]

Sounds great. Nothing like a cold crisp clear night beside the scope with a hot chocolate and biscuits in hand :cool:

[jjjnettie]

I have no bikkies Sab. The kids left me one lousy tim tam and I ate that hours ago.
But a hot chocolate, hmmmm
2.5 degrees now.

[jjjnettie]

1.5 degrees @ 12.46am
I think it's going to be a cold and frosty morning!

[astroron]

Jeanette,Weather station says 99% Humidity,water running of the scope like a tap:(
Called it a night at 00:30 bed time:thumbsup:

[Suzy]

I've not long come in after the most awesome night in my whole astronomical career (of 5 mths anyway). Came in at 1.30am from the freezing cold and just out of a long hot shower and now hot Milo in hand. My hands were so frozen and that scope was so cold! Note, to self- gloves are a necessity! My fleecy boots were pure bliss. No dew, fantastic clear night. I finally got to give my new Pentax ep it's first proper work out. That added more bliss to the night, and then I pegged the most targets that I have in one night. Dew just started as I was packing up. My first winter observing in the b****y freezing cold - I'm very proud of myself cause I'm such a sook when it comes to cold weather. I'm so excited, i feel on such a high, I'm going sleep now with a big smile on my face!

[rider]

We've got a little viewing night tonight behind the north coast, and I get to play with a 12.5" RCOS. woohooo !!!

It looks like it will be clear, but at the risk of raining on everybody's parade,

- have you looked at the jetstream prediction for SE queensland tonight?

90 -110 knots: prepare for stars suffering from Delirium Tremens

[rider]

I'm pleased to report that the seeing was better than anticipated up till about 11pm. then it all turned wobbly.

Earlier, the RCOS showed spiral structure in M94 even though it was down in the glow of Noosa! -wish I had the $ for one.... errr, and the dark site.

Those paramounts are incredible! At one stage I was at the EP when someone walked straight into the counterweight bar, and the view didnt even twitch.

This was the first totally cloud free night I've had since November.
It was a great way to break the astro-drought.

[pgc hunter]

Never EVER insult a tim tam like that! :eyepop:

I was out saturday, according to the scope it got down to 4C. Needless to say I was armed with 2 boxes of hot chocolate and coffee sachets :D The scope....well I could've left it out in a thunderstorm and it would've come out drier...