A dud night

Ric · #1 30-09-2006, 10:28 AM

Hi all, well after a run of really good observing nights ranging from 7/10 to 10/10 it finally happened, a totaly dud night 1/10. It started ok at 8:30 with setup and alignment procedures all going to plan and my list of the nights targets ready to go. Then it started at about 9:00 through user error I stuffed the alignment and had to realign, ok my fault no problem.

Then about 9:30 the neighbours arrive home and bring "Rent a Party" with them and so every light in the house and on the back verandah is switched on. It didnt really matter in the end because by 10:00 I had high cloud rolling in from nowhere and the wind began to pick up. By 10:45 I was packed up at back inside with the night results being a quick viewing of Uranus and Neptune mainly to test and see the difference with my new Barlow and nil images taken.

I think that some nights are just not meant to be but the skies are currently clear and there is no wind to mention, so I'll will be back out there again tonight.

cheers

mick pinner · #2 30-09-2006, 10:43 AM

same here Ric, the clouds were teasing me till about 10.00 and l ran out of patience, my fault really l did get a new scope.

Lee · #3 30-09-2006, 12:08 PM

Same.... I am at a dark site too.... total rubbish all evening, I did have a peek with binos at 11pm when I was up for work - pretty good then.... Funny thing was, I was a tad disoriented, and couldn't find Achernar - but since SMC was naked eye, just followed it! Love dark skies!!!
Looking very nice for tonight so far - 100% blue..... Here until Tues.... hope to get some images soon.....

Lee · #4 30-09-2006, 02:50 PM

Scratch that - Dorrigo has turned on me as usual.... I have run out of expletives!

The weather mongrel must have spotted me setting up the G-11 - now tarped....

Ric · #5 30-09-2006, 03:10 PM

Hi Lee, I know how you feel. This hobby can be such an emotional roller-coaster ride at times. You step outside to a 100% blue sky and all the plans start to formulate as to which DSO to image and the high starts to build up, then the clouds roll in from nowhere and bursts the bubble.
Astro dog looks equally unimpressed.

hope it all clears soon

EzyStyles (Eric) · #6 30-09-2006, 06:02 PM

happens to me "ALL" the time.

i have the worst luck.

this website helps me predict when the clouds roll in. Satellite imagery.

http://www.weatherzone.com.au/

looks good now 6:05pm have all my equipment outside ready. But don't trust it fully.

Adrian-H · #7 30-09-2006, 07:01 PM

! dont you take your scope inside lee!?!

now thats lazy

Lee · #8 30-09-2006, 07:41 PM

I do take it in - just did - have the dob ready on stand-by now.... I was just getting the mount leveled and set up ready (easier in daylight!).... then whiteout. Haven't seen a single star tonight yet. Sucks hard.

Eric - from the number of great images you peel off, I don't think you'll get much sympathy!

astro_nutt · #9 30-09-2006, 07:52 PM

Hi everyone..another weather site for you
www.eldersweather.com.au
Cheers!

Ric · #10 01-10-2006, 02:51 AM

Hi all, just finished packing up after a really good night. I was imaging NGC6744 and was having a quick look through the raw images and caught something interesting, upon closer scrutiny it looks like a plane, the engines stand out quite nicely.

cheers

Lee · #11 01-10-2006, 09:03 PM

Another dud night here in Dorrigo. This time the mongrel allowed me just enough clear skies to muck around setting up the G-11, and drift aligning - just finished drift align and had a whiteout in about 3 minutes. I hate this place! I'm now inventing expletives.

Adrian-H · #12 03-10-2006, 07:11 PM

AHHH ITS A ALIEN SPACESHHIP!!!

Ric · #13 04-10-2006, 12:55 AM

Hi Adrian, I thought it had a bit of the alien look about it as well

cheers

EzyStyles (Eric) · #14 04-10-2006, 01:01 AM

that is one fine 'different' image you did Ric. It is very rare to capture planes in an image. I recall this guy spent years trying to capture a plane in conjuction with the moon. You did well mate.

Ric · #15 04-10-2006, 01:12 AM

Thanks Eric, I didnt realise that it's a bit of a rare event. I was just reading somewhere recently about a fellow in Greece who had been trying for five years to catch a plane in a full moon and had finally succeeded.

cheers

Lee · #16 04-10-2006, 07:31 AM

everywhere I point a camera at the night sky seems to have planes flying through..... I used to think it was pretty cool.... they always hit the best exposures too.