Doesn't look good for Astronomy

[astroron]

Things don't look good for Astronomy on the East Coast for later this year:sadeyes:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/07/07/2947172.htm?site=science&topic=enviro

[Esseth]

Damn it, just when i am finally getting all the required gear for my first prime focus shots

[asimov]

As if it wasn't already bad enough up here..

[bloodhound31]

Great for those of us moving into daytime photography with lots of clouds and soft-light situations.

Baz.

[Darth Wader]

I expect nothing less after finally upgrading to a 12" dob. Bad back has meant I've used it once in the last 6 weeks:(:mad2:

[acropolite]

As long as it's all right for Astrofest....:thumbsup:

[Jules76]

One of thesedays I'll get the chance to try out my new Eyepiece and Filter. Until then, just keep planning more purchases..... :)

[pgc hunter]

Great, juuuusst great. So we can expect a cold and soggy summer after a cold and soggy winter. :mad2:

[DavidTrap]

Bring back the drought! Bring back the drought!

Ummmm, maybe I shouldn't say that too loudly...

DT

[pgc hunter]

I agree. Not that we ever have a drought here. I'm so sick of the never ending cold damp cloudy wet drizzly garbage. My local park has been waterlogged literally for over a solid month :mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2 ::mad2:

Melbourne and drought? LOL if only :rolleyes:


Global Warming? what a massive LOLCANO...... never slept with a colder, wetter and cloudier winter in my life, and it's getting worse every year. And it's not only Melbourne, but places as far north as Alice Springs, Port Hedland, Tennant Creek etc are getting near record cold and rain

[DavidTrap]

Honestly, I'm getting worried that Astrofest will be a write off!

DT

[jjjnettie]

Astrofest can never be a write off.
Not while there are so many willing to share their experience and knowledge.
And of course there is always the social aspect.
Where else can you go and talk Astronomy to ANYONE and not have a single eyeball roll?

[AstroJunk]

I don't recall spending much time at my eyepiece last Astrofest anyway - most of the time I was hunting down Marples and his chocolate port...

Althought I do seem to remember that the Saturday morning of 2008 was a complete write-off: "Cloudy one night, hungover the next". Thankfully, what goes to Astrofest, stays at Astrofest :)

[Alchemy]

It got to Melbourne just before autumn, usually we have nice days... Just cloudy this year.. Not much rain yet, but just had wettest June in 9 years.

I don't mind the state needs the wet weather.

[GrahamL]

This year has been terrible on the north coast
been a few decent nights but mostly overcast and rain .
The grounds been wet underfoot on the coast since december last year

When its raining dead seagulls in june ( lennox head tornado)
and mountains of hail ,astronomy just isn't going to happen any time soon :(

[AdrianF]

And I just bought a nebula filter and a new eyepiece and a 10 and 50mW laser. We have had rain for the last week on and off my backyard already is boggy (mud everywhere due to council digging it up). Listening to the "oldtimers" at the checkout yesterday claiming we will have upwards of 300mm of rain again this year. Just hope not overnight again like earlier this year............ :prey2: to the :sunny:god
Adrian

[pgc hunter]

HA no we don't

pffft every effing winter the place around here is waterlogged


Screw wet weather, we've seen enough of that crap this winter of hell, WE NEED SOME FREAKING SUN FOR ONCE GOD

Outside atm it is ofcourse damp, foggy overcast and miserable, with about 7 hours of sunshine for the first 7 days of this month, as is typical for Melbourne :mad2: :mad2: :mad2: :rolleyes: And yet, people from Perf, Brisbane and Sydney and Caanbraaaaa have the balls to complain. Goodfreakingness me. They have no idea. Not a goddamn clue.

[AdrianF]

I dont mind the rain but rain and winter...yuck
Need the rain for the rainwater tank but its been overflowing now the the last 3-4 days.

Adrian

[pgc hunter]

On a related note, I've seen houses here iwth solar panels. I mean WTF do people have those for? WE DONT GET SUN HERE. Don't they realise that? 20 grand down the S-bend, ridiculous.

[gary]

Hi Ron,

They probably used highly sophisticated modeling on state of the art supercomputers
to forecast the start of the next La Niña cycle.

I am not sure. I think I will wait for what Paul the Octopus predicts. :lol:

[astroron]

Hi Gary, I was so sure Germany would have won the world cup,I should have taken notice of the Octopus, Who needs computers:question::P
It can't be much worse than it has been for the first part of the year for observing:sadeyes:

[el_draco]

phewy, try the South Coast!

[astroron]

What are you saying:question:

[Jen]

:lol::lol: thats the go JJJ :thumbsup:

[gary]

Picking up from this thread from July of this year, as indicated in this table from the
Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) for July,
August and September were strongly positive.

See http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/soihtm1.shtml

This and other observations indicate we are experiencing a La Niña event
and the high amounts of rain fall of late along the East Coast are testimony to
this.

In a report issued on 29th Sept 2010, BOM reports -



Full report here - http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/

In the National Seasonal Rainfall Outlook (http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/rain_ahead.shtml) issued by BOM on 23rd Sept -


This chart http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/maps/rain.national.hrweb.gif?20100923
is a prediction for Oct to Dec 2010 that indicates the probability of a given region
exceeding the median rainfall.

[pmrid]

Yep, the short-term prognosis for astronmy is poor for the next several months, or so it seems. But as someone who lives in an area that has only recently been taken off the drought-declared list where it had been off-and on for the past 7 years, and who, in that time saw his creeks and dams as dry as a dingo's whatsis and had to water stock from bores and supplement feed because there was no pasture, you cannot overvalue water security. Brisbane's water supply was down to below 16% less than a year ago. Water desalination plants, recycled sewerage etc were all real choices we had to face.
So while it makes it hard to do much astronomy, this rain is saving us from some serious merde.

Peter.

[gary]

Hi Peter,

Indeed, every cloud has a silver lining as they say, and there are hopes it may
be a bumper year for some Australian farmers.

Great to hear your part of the world is able to re-stock its dams again.

The prospect of a major Australian city ever running out of water is not a pretty one.

Having driven down as far as Albury at the beginning of the floods last month and as
far north as the northern Sunshine Coast a couple of weeks ago, we have noted
the whole region is looking very green and lush.

[Steffen]

Not the best outlook for the coming months, but let that be an extra motivation for us to get the best out of every clear night that comes along :thumbsup:

Cheers
Steffen.

[PeterM]

[QUOTE=AstroJunk;612063]I don't recall spending much time at my eyepiece last Astrofest anyway - most of the time I was hunting down Marples and his chocolate port...

Hmmmm forgotten about that. Between this thread and the weather you and Ron have just inspired me to put off that astro accessory I was thinking about in favor of buying a carton of chocolate port. I thank you all.
We'll drink a drink a drink er um a drinker, dinker. You know where I am going.
Oh and Jonathan please pm me with where to get that special labelled port you had at astrofest.;). My first and last smiley.

PeterM.

[jjjnettie]

I got a photo of that bottle of port, shame I couldn't post a picture of it here. LOL
You could always print yer own Peter.

[astroron]

Hi Gary thank you for bringing those reports, But I am just a little fed up with all this greenery at the moment:mad2:
A little bit of sunshine would go a long way:D
All the best to yourself and Mia :thumbsup:

[gary]

Given how unsettled the weather remained in October, the following
probably comes as no surprise and it is cold comfort that there was
an equal record of the SOI for the month.



The composite RADAR image below from earlier this morning seems
typical of the weather patterns of late, with troughs drawing moist air
from northern latitudes all the way south. These continental-sized
troughs are connecting locations as far apart as Hobart and Cairns.

[supernova1965]

The rain has set in the only happy individuals in my yard are the frogs haven't seen the sky for weeks and the frogs are keeping me awake:rofl:

[marki]

Perth was beautiful today, 30 degrees, sunny and clear :poke::P;):D:scared3:

[Manav]

This is one of the reasons why I have multiple hobbies! Time to log online a race f1 2010 move over Vettel :)

[pgc hunter]

This year is all the motivation I need to move to Port Hedland.

[gary]

Alas, as is the case there today as I type, even that part of the world of late seems
only good for nature's own free outdoor mirror washing service.

The south-west of the country seems to be the only corner La Niña cares to avoid,
where the average rainfall for October in Perth was half the historical average.
Mind you, they are probably running out of drinking water and by now forced to drink
nothing but cold Swan Draught and vintage Margaret River reserves during all-night
observing sessions, but I guess one can't have it both ways.

[steve000]

My brand new 12incher is gathering dust, shes been out once in 2 months of ownership :(

I suppose i do enjoy mowing, JUST NOT AT NIGHT!

[pgc hunter]

That looks like a radar glitch, the satpic shows next to no cloud in that area.

[gary]

Hi Sab,

Thanks for the follow-up and indeed you are correct in that there was apparently
only light cloud in Port Hedland today which will become mostly cloudy later tonight.

The Broome Met Office kindly inform me that the RADAR returns that at times
appear like storms in that region are a result of temperature inversion layers.
The inversion layers bring about changes in the refractive index.
ABC Kimberley Local Radio very recently interviewed Ben Collins from the
Bureau on the subject and audio and pictures can be found on the ABC web site
here - http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2010/11/11/3063666.htm?site=kimberley

[Paul Haese]

Oh well Ron, you can always move to SA. Clear skies here and seeing is on the improve. That'll learn you all for not living in a back water like Adelaide.:lol:

[Jeeps]

I think i'll need to get one of those new Thousand Oaks Cloudband filters to block out the clouds... ;)

[TheDecepticon]

Coool!!:eyepop: PC, PS3 or Xbox??:shrug: I am up to Monte Carlo in the first season of career and haven't had time to get on line much.:) I have my own simulator that I built myself with a G25 Logitech wheel.:thumbsup:

No thread hijack intended!:rolleyes:

[AdamJL]

Looks like west of the dividing range might get some clear skies tonight.

Anyone have an idea of a good location near Orange? Any big open fields I can set up near? Cheers :)

Shame it's a near full moon tonight, but I'll take what I can get!

[supernova1965]

This is what it is like at our place at present and has been for too long I can't remember the sky aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh:sadeyes:

[pgc hunter]

Average daily sunshine for the month in Mackay stands at 3.3 hours. Yuck.

[astroron]

Oh well, we have Three Weekends till the next and last for 2010 Cambroon Night.:)
That should be enough time to clear up:rolleyes::lol::lol::lol:

[supernova1965]

I can vouch for that infact if I had been asked I would have said less:help:

[gary]

Warren's photograph of the rain seems to sum up the weather of late, but
remarkably it is sunny today in Sydney with only patchy cloud with "sunny"
or "mostly sunny" predicted for the rest of the week, but winds averaging 30km/h
predicted on most days.

[AdamJL]

Well since Saturday had the first clear night at Orange since about 1935, I made my way out of Sydney and set up atop Mount Canobolas and started shooting (wide field stuff).

All I can say, is that the pretty-much-full-moon meant I got nothing from the excursion. And as soon as the moon was setting in the north west, the sky to the east was brightening up for sunrise.

Can't win!!!

Still.. I love the Bell's Line of Road, so was happy to drive along that in and out of Sydney :)

[pgc hunter]

down to 3.0 hours/day and total of 62 hours for the first 21 days of the month!

Tropical Queensland or Shetland Islands? :question:

[Jules76]

Just took a quick look outside, and there a few patches in the sky with, wait for it, stars. OMG.

I'd venture out there with my telescope if it weren't for that great big round blob commonly known as the Moon. And to top it off it's full!

Damn you moon, damn you.

[Jeeps]

I concur ;)

[supernova1965]

What I would give to see the moon at present :sadeyes: is almost anything:(

[jjjnettie]

So the moon is out.....
Well.....dig out your moon maps and do a tour!
Do you know where Apollo 11 landed? Go find out!

[Jen]

LOL Warren im having a great time playing around with the Moon its still a fantastic object in the sky and its the only thing i can image good so far too :lol:

[that_guy]

especially when theres 2 of them in the sky ehh jen? :rofl:

[Jen]

:eyepop:
:rofl::rofl::rofl: LOL Tony you should have been in bed at that time of the night :lol: Not on facebook reading my drunken messages :lol:

Oh yes two moons looked awsome that night :help:
And Venus looked even better when i stayed up all night to watch that come up too hehe :P

[that_guy]

well at least now i know that your a happy drunk not a mean drunk haha :thumbsup: that ought to come in one day :lol:

[Jen]

:lol: im always HAPPY :D

[gary]

If you think it has been raining a lot in Sydney recently ...
Sydney Morning Herald article -
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/forecasters-stick-their-necks-out--its-going-to-be-the-wettest-december-this-century-20101201-18gr7.html

[pgc hunter]

Had a massive downpour and thunderstorm move thru this arvo, dark as night, flash flooding, torrential rain, yet now it's bright and sunny with blue skies as if nothing happened...

might even be able able to get the scope out, who would'a thunk it?

[gary]

Reads like a Who's Who of some of the normally best observing locales in the State.

Story here -
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/floods-devastate-regional-nsw-20101204-18kf7.html

[supernova1965]

Our neighbours pool which 2 weeks ago was empty for renovation is now completely full just from rain and it is an medium sized inground pool and our road has flooded 3 times this week AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH:help: I have forgotten everything I learnt about the position of the stars and DSO's :sadeyes:

[h0ughy]

All i can say is that this wet cloudy season has given a fair number of people time to reposition themselves and restock and re equip their arsenal. I know i have:rofl: now to get ready for that clear day/week - i have asked Santa for that for Christmas:screwy:

You can only process so many images over and over again, well normal people anyway;). So then you look in the cupboard/shed. will i use that scope again - no maybe not i haven't used it for a while now. oooohhh look there is a _____________ wow thats cheap......hey if i sell this then i can get that....... then the game is on!!!!

So you can whine about the cloud, complain because of the rain, but its that US buck, that bringeth they scope/mount/camera on the back of the truck for the next clear skies. Brings tears to my eyes:D

[shelltree]

We all know who to blame for yesterday's cruddy weather. Somebody picked up a 12" go to dob yesterday and drove it home in the pouring rain... :P

Woke up this morning to more rain so no photography of any kind or star gazing of any kind :sadeyes:... Mind you the last time I got the scope out I was attacked by a plague of mosquitos hell bent on destroying my observations and afocal photography of the moon, causing me to bat furiously at myself and look like a complete lunatic in my yard with what appeared to be a giant cannon :screwy:. The ground was also covered in nasty looking toads so after 20 minutes of fail observing, I got so frustrated I packed it all up and haven't got it out since :(

I think observing at my place will be pretty much impossible over summer unless I ritualistically bathe in tropical strength rid for 5 hours prior to observing and avoid eating bananas ever again. And now with more rain there are bound to be more mosquitos and more toads. I think I'll be investing in a great pair of binoculars so at least then I can still find some fuzzies and have the ability to make a quick dash indoors when the mossies become too much.

*sigh* Bring back winter!

[gary]

A Canadian colleague who is a keen observer and astrophotographer and
who comes frequently to Australia to observe sent the following email today
with regards attempting to drive back to Coonabarabran yesterday after
visiting Parkes.

[Jeeps]

So it's a New Moon! Who's going out to observe tonight? LOL

Not me it's raining :( ;)

cheers

[gary]

The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) value for December was +27.1.
Looking back through the records, the only months I could quickly spot a higher
value were in Nov of 1972 when it was +31.6 and August of 1917 when it
was +34.8. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the current SOI remains in the
top 5% of historical events.

Bureau of Meteorology SOI table here -
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/soihtm1.shtm
Graphs here -
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/soi2.shtml

High values of the SOI sustained over several months are indications of
La Niña events.

In their Dec 22nd wrap-up of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ESNO), the
Bureau reports -



Full report here -
http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/

[pgc hunter]

disasterous conditions of late (like the rest of the east coast), with the newest running gag being that bloody layer cloud that rolls in from the east night after night just after sunset, very much like the Californian 'June Gloom'. I call it the "East Beast". Sat pic looks like it'll clear, but BOM and skippysky going for that low cloud to redevelop overnight, and over the last week both have been bang on.

[casstony]

I got some nice solar viewing yesterday - stable conditions with fair bit of activity including a filament curling over the limb giving a nice 3D effect - helps to ease the aggravation of these cloudy evenings. Gotta stay focused on those silver linings.

[supernova1965]

The whole of last winter was a complete write off and that is when we usually get the most clear skies am hoping for a clear winter and am preparing for it now.

[mozzie]

yep at least it's your doing some viewing.the sun seems to have some activity at the moment....