Quote:
Originally Posted by SkyWatch
Hi Billi,
There are a lot of things that can effect seeing. The jet stream is one (this is high altitude stuff!), as well as invisible moisture in the air (could be at any level), local turbulence due to hot air rising from the ground or nearby buildings, air-conditioners, chimneys etc., air currents in your scope due to different temperature of the mirror and the ambient air...
Jupiter would also have been reasonably low when you looked: and the more air you are looking through then the worse the seeing can be. I would check Jupiter now if I were you, having allowed it to rise a bit more and your scope to cool to ambient temperature. ("Harold" would normally take 30 minutes or so for his mirror to reach outside temperature.)
Low speed wind around your observing site usually won't cause too many seeing problems, unless it is strong enough to buffet and shake your scope. Harold should be reasonably stable and I would have thought he could cope with your 17km/h breeze. There is an easy way to find out- and because he is so portable it should only take you a minute or so to set him up and check. 
Happy observing! I am jealous of your dark sky, and I miss the Riverland!
All the best,
Dean |
Thanks Dean
I set up on the back table before dusk so that the mirrors could cool to the right temperature. The wind has set in now and it's pretty chilly so I'm going to give it a miss.
I've had a lot of people comment on our exceptionally dark skies. To be honest, I thought they were like that in any country location. I guess it's a bit of newbie naivete
