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Old 22-11-2006, 04:00 PM
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Outbackmanyep
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Stamina!

I was wondering about how many of us amateurs actually have the stamina to observe most nights during the week and still have enough energy to work during the day??

Whats your typical observing hours???


I usually start setting up just on dark and then align my scope ( Celestron 8" Ultima PEC ) which can take anything from 15 mins to an hour or so, and depending upon the weather i usually stay up until 1am some weekdays taking photo's, and till 3am on weekends before the eyes get too tired.
So my typical observing session lasts only 5 or 6 hours!
Being a comet chaser i should really be getting up early in the morning as well but having no observatory with which to easily open and observe from it can be a bugger getting my scope out and aligning it and being tired also!
With my astrophotography i dont use digital imaging or autoguiding, all my astrophoto work is done manually in conjunction with PEC, im getting quite good at staring at crosshairs for an hour or so and keeping my stars round!
So i only have approx 6 to 12 pics then im done!
Sometimes i pass the time by putting on some music while observing and have a drink and maybe biscuits or something between pics!

I'd be interested to see what other amateurs times are and how they manage their observing sessions and how they manage to stay awake!

Cheers!


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Old 22-11-2006, 06:47 PM
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I am a very casual stargazer and my sesions last between 1-2 hours. Very rarely do I observe after midnight (I love sleeping ). My normal procedure is to set up one of my scopes. Observe a few familiar objects; those whose positions I can remember with out an atlas (no Goto here). Then I will scruitinize upto about a half dozen new objects spending lots of time on each of them, logging all the details. Finally at the end of my sesh I will check out a few showpiece objects.
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Old 22-11-2006, 07:11 PM
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sheeny (Al)
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I'm no hero when it comes to long session either... I love me sleep becasue I get migraines that are usually triggered by sleep deprivation!

I will usually try to take my scope out any time it's clear. Often by the time dinner etc is done I get out between 7 and 8 and I'll be home about 11. On Friday or Saturday nights I'll stay out later (last Friday night I imaged until my battery pack went flat!) cause I can sleep in.

If the weather's a bit suspect, I'll either drag out the 20x80s or have a slack night depending on my greatest need.

Al.
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Old 22-11-2006, 08:01 PM
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When at home, as I live alone, if it is clear I basically stay out there and go to bed at dawn. Often I sleep outside on the ground with a dog or two but we have a blanket to lie on... There is something I like about waking outside having had a little sleep from say 4-00 am till dawn.. this is in Summer not a Winter thing.
I wish I had kept a log because in four years I recon I would have 10 years experience at the scope.
My best run was when I did my last batch of wide fields and that was five nights in a row all night. I will nap a bit when tired but sleep long hours when not viewing. I gets strange after a couple of days but as I am alone I can handle it.
I save work to when I can do it and thank goodness there is never much...however since down here the pace has been hectic but no astronomy my only relief where I can get stuff off my chest and feel as though there are people near me, has been this and 2 other forums.
I am still trying to escape the city and plan to do a couple of full nights when I get home if the weather is suitable.
There are so few nights for photos you gotta go for it if its clear.
alex
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Old 22-11-2006, 08:15 PM
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iceman (Mike)
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Depends on the seeing I can live on little sleep, used to it after years of young kids and commuting

If the seeing is good I can stay out for hours, or get up at 2am and go to work without going back to bed.. but those nights are rare unfortunately.

When observing on new moon nights, I usually pack it away around 12:30am because I know i'm gonna be woken up at 6am by the kids.

Certainly the stamina isn't the same as it used to be when I was going to night clubs as a 19 year old
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Old 23-11-2006, 11:57 AM
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Quite interesting! Its really good to hear about how other amateurs use their time to do things they love doing! I have probably only ever done an all-nighter on a few occasions!
I also notice that astronomy is also a lonely pasttime, i dont know anyone who gets together regularly to view in groups!

keep em coming!!
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Old 23-11-2006, 12:43 PM
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Stamina?

I think they were school trousers in my day. The suitcases we used to lug around were Globite.
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Old 23-11-2006, 01:15 PM
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stamina hmmmm lets see for field trips, chocolate (tried all sorts, generally cherry ripes and kit kats - less mess on fingers) , potato crisps (barbecue or cheese and onion mostly) (for fatty warm glow) or cheezles, iced coffee (farmers union of course) or the chocolate one in a small carton, used to make thermo's of tea, but too lazy these days, a small bottle coca cola for some caffeine, lollies, those jelly type ones like starbursts or the new natural confectionary ones, with snakes ect. for a sugar/glucose hit, and cigarrettes and oh, excitement/enthuisiasm
dont forget to floss and neutralise ph in mouth (tapwater and chew gum) when ya get home tho! or your dentist will love ya! EDIT: i should know it took me 4 root canals to cotton on to this

Last edited by fringe_dweller; 23-11-2006 at 02:00 PM.
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Old 23-11-2006, 01:48 PM
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ving (David)
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hmm... i amnot normally up too late. i'll set up just before it gets dark, then after doing... whatever i start packing up at 10:30-11 at home. I enjoy my sleep too much I'll stay a little longer if i am out and about.
I sometimes listen to my mp3 player, but most of the time its crickets, frogs and other animals
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Old 23-11-2006, 03:10 PM
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If I get a good night for imaging, I will usually go until 3 or 4 on weekends.
On weekdays I will pick a target to image and just do the one DSO and finsh up around 12 or 1.

cheers
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Old 23-11-2006, 03:17 PM
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astronut (John)
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If the night is clear and steady and I'm at a dark sky site, I just can't waste it. Last w/e I was with my fellow members down at our dark site just south of Berrima (N.S.W.) the sky was so good, (I could see the Helix Nebula naked eye), that most of us stayed up until 4.00am.
WHAT A SKY!!!
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Old 23-11-2006, 03:36 PM
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I try to get out there as much as possible, i dont need to much sleep, can survive on a few hours a night.
Love getting up early too, usually set up just on dusk, cover it and get up at 2.30 or 3.00, best time of the day, the early mornings.
As long as it all works ok, not last night, imaged away for about 3 hours, went in to download and found that i had forgotten to switch the camera back to Buld setting, yea you gussed it, left it on Manual after focusing and ended up with 50 frames of the smallest jpeg's possible.
That's the way it goes.

Cheers Leon
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Old 23-11-2006, 06:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep
I also notice that astronomy is also a lonely pasttime
Thats one of Astronomys attractions (for me)
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Old 23-11-2006, 07:01 PM
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My regular observing in my observatory is limited to about 3-4 nights a week and I'm normally in bed by 10. More around new moon, fewer around full moon. On weekends I'll stay up later, about 12 maybe, but it depends what I have on the next day. I need 7 hours sleep a night to be happy.

This is why I've really taken to automated observing. During week nights I typically open up the observatory at 8 or 9 when it's just got dark, get it going, be in bed by 10, and it finishes taking photo's before sunrise. I pack it up before going to work (switch off a few things, close the roof). If it weren't for this, I'd get much less hours worth of photography.

If I take a trip to the country for a night's observing I'll stay up until about 2am but I find my feet and legs are dead after then and all I want to do is sit down anyway. So I go to sleep instead.

I almost never do more than 2 nights in a row of being up past midnight. I have too many other things I want to do with my days to be able to spend them tired or sleeping.

Roger.
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Old 23-11-2006, 07:07 PM
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rogerg (Roger)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep
I also notice that astronomy is also a lonely pasttime, i dont know anyone who gets together regularly to view in groups!
Really? Usually everyone has an astronomy club nearby and I get the impression most have a good schedule of viewing nights. The one I'm a member of is extremely active - so active in fact I can't keep up and so don't go to half the events even though I wouldn't mind doing the astronomy. Most events are not dark sky viewing, but many are still viewing of some sort.

Personally I like the quiet sometimes, particularly when I'm in my observatory because often what I'm doing requires quite a bit of concentration - I'm usually working flat out to keep up with the images coming down, etc. Other times I prefer company. Travelling out to the country I like going with a group of people.

Roger.
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Old 23-11-2006, 07:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep
I also notice that astronomy is also a lonely pasttime, i dont know anyone who gets together regularly to view in groups!
I agree with Mick, it may seem a lonesome pasttime on the surface, but with forums like these, it aint so bad anymore.
as thet say One persons 'lonliness' is another persons serene and blissful solitude!
anyway when you have the stars for company what else do ya want?
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  #17  
Old 29-11-2006, 12:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rogerg
Really? Usually everyone has an astronomy club nearby and I get the impression most have a good schedule of viewing nights. The one I'm a member of is extremely active - so active in fact I can't keep up and so don't go to half the events even though I wouldn't mind doing the astronomy. Most events are not dark sky viewing, but many are still viewing of some sort.

Personally I like the quiet sometimes, particularly when I'm in my observatory because often what I'm doing requires quite a bit of concentration - I'm usually working flat out to keep up with the images coming down, etc. Other times I prefer company. Travelling out to the country I like going with a group of people.

Roger.
When i was a member of Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group, when i used to live in Sydney, they had regular observing nights, but my new club in Armidale dont have scheduled viewing nights, what i should have said was i dont know anyone outside of an astronomy club that gets together in groups for observing!
Not to say it doesnt happen though!
I might put it to my club at the next meeting and try and organise to have regular viewing nights!

I dont have to travel too far to get dark country skies now (about 1 KM ), and i love it!

Cheers!
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