Hi Geoff & All,
Yep, it sure has been frustrating. It seems my observing log is growing at snails-pace this year.
Last night and this, we have been having the Festival of the Stars at Sydney Observatory which is billed (rightly or wrongly) as Sydney's biggest star party.
You can read about the activities here:
http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/...stars_2009.asp
Well, last night (Friday 29052009) I took my 18" in and had just enough time to assemble and get it collimated under a half-half sky before it started to rain.
So, on goes the 'scope's raincoat. It alternated between good (I use the term advisedly) steady moderate rain and "like someone pouring the Pacific Ocean through a sieve" for the next 4 hrs.
When time came at 10pm to close down, it was raining so hard I had no way of pulling the 'scope to pieces and getting it in the car without it getting sodden and or damaged. It can't go in the building because all the door-frames are a just a tad too small for it to fit through. So, it spent the night in the marquee -- not happy Jan but what can you do?
Tonight (30052009) we had over 500 booked in pre-paid plus another 2-300-odd who turned up on spec. 5pm -- drag it out of the marquee and set-up under a half-half sky. Within 20 minutes it was drizzling.
6.30pm got a 20 min semi-break in the cloud -- just enough to give about 50-odd people a look at the Moon before it started to rain again. The queue was about 100-deep and sadly back on went the raincoat. The look of disappointment on so many of the kids faces
was the saddest thing.
7.30pm -- got another 30-minute semi-break. Enough to give about 150 people a glance (and I mean a glance) at Saturn through scudding cloud before the 100% overcast came back for good. I had 'em going through so quick they almost seemed to be jogging past the eyepiece. Rain from 8pm to 10pm, occasionally heavy.
Fortunately it had slowed to a drizzle by 10pm so I could disassemble in the Marquee and then rush it to the vehicle in bits. It was one of the quickest pack-ups I've ever done.
There were probably 1-200 kids there tonight and its disappointing that quite a few didn't get to see through any telescopes at all.
Are there any gopher-wood trees growing in Sydney?
We may need them yet!
Best,
Les D