Summer v Winter

[mickoking]

G,day Cobbers,

What do you believe to be the better night sky for observing, Winter (june , july, august for those north of the equator) or Summer (december, January, febuary for our northern friends)?

[jjjnettie]

I've been told that Winter is supposed to be the best time to observe.
But to me any time is a good time to get out there under the stars.

[matt]

I'm a winter/spring/autumn boy.

Less temperature variation, less atmospheric/thermals (maybe), gets dark earlier etc and dark for longer.

It's heaps better for my viewing during the week given I'm up at 3-30am for work.

Can get a cuppla hours of viewing in before off to bed.:)

[rmcpb]

The cooler months, atmosphere seems more stable and the mossies less savage :)

[acropolite]

Summer has been a letdown here with smoke, high whispy cloud and a raging jetstream overhead, winter is smoky because of woodheater and forestry burnoff, so IMO autumn and spring are probably the best times here in Tas.

[matt]

Oh lordy yes, Rob!!!

How could I forget the mossies?:mad2:

Reckon we need to start a thread with pix of the most number of bites in 1 night. or maybe not:lol:

[barees63]

I haven't had a chance to view in Winter yet but would dew be more of a problem in the colder months? (and over here, frost)..

[rmcpb]

Yep, dew and frost can be a problem but fairly easily "fixed" with a light tube extension/dew guard on both your scope and finder scope. A simple stubby holder oveer your Telrad will help it stay clear longer. After saying this dew can be a problem on those hot, humid summer nights too and you have to worry about the mossies and not forget the Aeorgard and the bushfire smoke and the atmospheric turbulance and the jet stream and, and, and......

Winter, just pile on the jumpers, tracky dacks (now there is a good look) and beanies :)

[ving]

winter has so far been better for viewing, but god i hate the cold!!! :(
:cold:

[circumpolar]

July, August and September are great. Especially in the evening.
Early morning not so good because of frost or fog.

[Nightshift]

It depends on where you are, up here in the tropics winter is the pick because it clouds and rains most nights between Oct and March, the air is much more stable in winter too, dew is more of a problem in summer here due to the high humidity, winter has very little, almost zero humidity so dew cant form. Heat causes everything to expand which is why the summer days are longer too, making shorter summer nights, another reason why winter is better. LOL.

[dhumpie]

I agree with circumpolar. Winter skies are amazing but you freeze your butt off...

Darren

[danielsun]

Melbourne winter is what you call freezing!!!!
Great sky's with scorpius and sagitarius, but antarctic conditions!!!!!
Though it still doesnt stop me getting out there on a clear moonless night!!

[circumpolar]

Yep. The wind C factor is a killer down your way. Last time I almost lost my finger tips to the ice maiden!!!
That reminds me, I still need to buy gloves.:doh:

[matt]

You'd love Canberra in the middle of winter

[mickoking]

I prefer autumn/ winter. No mossies, longer and darker night's and more to see.

[RAJAH235]

No thanks Matt. Cold enough here. Just wear your thermal underwear, etc etc... :D L.

[ACE]

Summers great for a quick peek, no shoes, don't need to rug up. But those dang mozzies get ya all the time.

But winter nights, when its crisp and clear.

[norm]

I like the idea of summer where you don't need to rug up, but as people have mentioned the mozzies can be a pain.

Winter is my preference. :)

[[1ponders]]

You mean there are clear skies in summer somewhere :eyepop:

Easter through to September for me.

Jumpers? Winter? What are they :D Mossies? Oh those things that disappear around Easter along with the clouds.

[robin]

Its been so cloudy here in Warrnambool for ages that any season thats clear, be it cold or warm, is my favourite.

[fringe_dweller]

yep autumn/winter just coz of long nights and sag overhead and cooler temps=often steady and optimum scope conditions.
little difference between daytime/nighttime temps ect.
but for 'players comfort' it is summer hands down
but I would go further and say autumn/winter in severe local drought years are the best by a country mile - scarily good in fact.

[sheeny]

The biggest disadvantage with summer time for me is the shortened hours of darkness. Spring to early summer brings the winds, which seem to be so much stronger on top of the divide here. So I suppose I lean towards Autumn and Winter even if sub zero temps are the norm.

I think I have the warm clothing sorted out for cold nights - thermals, jeans and shirt, thick socks, fingerless woolen gloves and beanie, a throat coat and a windstopper jacket... then if it's really cold, a freezer jacket and pants over the top! I have managed to work up a sweat standing perfectly still for an hour or two while forming icicles on the back of my OTA with my breath...;)

Al.

[tony66]

I'd prefer winter, clearer sky's, much less mozzies and no need to leave the air conditioning to drip sweat all over:drink: my scope. Every nights a steamer up here!!:drink:

[JohnG]

Gotta say I lean towards Autum/Winter, the howling NorEaster's die and you don't get the afternoon cloud down here, cold, no, not really. Cold was when I lived in Cooma and the Snowy Mountains, dew went straight to ice and your finger stuck to the mount, ever seen a white GM-8. lol

JohnG

[jjjnettie]

The worst place to be bitten.
a)Finger tips
b)between the toes
and my personal favorite...
c)when they get behind your specs and can't get out then they bite you repeatedly on the eyelids in frustration.:mad2:

[astro_south]

The other advantage for you in winter Jeanette is the reduced threat of snake bite! ;)

[jjjnettie]

Sssso true

[yagon]

Is there much difference between seasons regarding the objects that you can observe in the sky?

That is, is there more to see during winter versus summer?

[ving]

its a whole different sky.... as you very well know the sky drifts from eastish to westish everynight... well constellations appear to be higher inthe sky thru the year moving westward till finally they disappead past the horizon... in the mean time new constellationa are apearing in the east... its a cycle you see.

[Rodstar]

I saw an article once somewhere (?) which had a summary of average number of clear nights, month by month, for a location near or in Sydney, from many years of records.

Winter is much clearer statistically than any other time of year. From memory, the average number of clear nights in each of the months of May/June is about 15, and for December/January less than half that.

I dislike the cold, but I dislike clouds even more. Bring on winter, I say!

[mickoking]

Last night it was really clear so I dragged my 'scope out for some observing. The problem was it was stinkin hot and muggy. I did half an hour of **** weak stargazing and went back into blissfull airconditioning and beer. We have had a mild summer over here in the sou-west, now it is Autumn it is heat wave time.

Much prefer Winter observing :thumbsup:

[matt]

I hear ya Mick.

Another 30+ degree day here and windy as all #$@!*&

Maybe I should have taken up sailing?

[yagon]

You should! My main hobby is windsurfing, and WA has world class conditions. Sydney drives me crazy with it's moderate and light winds, especially in Autumn and Winter.

Last Jan, I spent 2 weeks sailing around Margaret River. That place is heaven for me, and I hope to retire there one day.

[Saab]

Winter is probably the best time for stargazing, but with it comes almost constant dew and sometimes frost. It's not so much the cold (which is mild compared to the US and Europe) but that flamin' dew. It's there on 95% of all winter nights! One night my star atlas had a nice thick layer of frost! And on another the temp in my backyard dipped to -3.5ºC. Personally I prefer summer/autumn, because there is no dew, and it is warmer. Winter is a good time for planetary observing, as there is less heat radiation from the ground, but for all night DSO hunting I really prefer summer/autumn.

[Xeelee]

Autumn, Winter, Spring for me. I can't stand the humidity in summer

[JoeBlow]

Mid to late autumn is my favourite. Clearer skies then summer but not as cold as winter. Also in the evening the eta carina part of the milky way is high in the sky, while in the early morning you can get a good look at sagittarius and scorpius.