Qld Version of Murphy's Law

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

What's an astronomer to do? Absolutely perfectly clear day today. Crystal clear afternoon, spend an hour or so setting up the big gear cos it looks really promising. The temperatures dropping, the humidity is low, even the mozzies are missing. Start the SBIG cool down. Setup the autoguiding. Take a couple of test shots...even the focus looks good without having to do anything. I'll still adjust it to be spot on. Everything is humming. Woo Hoo!. Pop inside for half an hour to have a bite to eat... come out and you guessed it.... clouding over.

What's a sucker to do???

[renormalised (Carl)]

Tell me about it....that's why I'm holding off for at least a month or so. Till we actually get cloudless skies!!.

[Dennis]

Yeah, me too Paul, except I didn’t get suckered into setting up….I’m still occasionally popping my head out the window to see if this cruddy cloud clears off!

I blame it all on Alex’s new beaut ST9E!

Cheers

Dennis

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

I guess I got over confident. I mean we've had a couple of decent nights this week. I got out Saturday but wasn't impressed with my comet shots so when tonight came along I thought I'd hunt down Ceres and take a few shots for an animation. I've got a new SBIG G11 digital drive interface I've been waiting to try out......didn't cost me anything... it was free.... just a modification of an existing setup so the cloud isn't my fault.....I agree... Let's blame Alex.

[renormalised (Carl)]

Geez, what'll happen if he takes an APOD with that camera....we'll be clouded in for the rest of the year!!!!!!!

[BerrieK]

Methinks that its cloudy because it's jjj's birthday today. She must be watching the Goodies!

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

She probably is Kerrie....but out in the yard under the stars, the lucky bugger. She lives further west than us coasties.

[ngcles]

Hi Paul & All,

Had an almost identical experience to you on Sat 28th February.

Sky looked half-half most of the day but the satellite clearly indicated it was going to get better. By 5pm the clearing trend was on the upswing. Set out for my Southern Highlands site at 6pm and by the time I arrived it was totally clear.

Half hour to set up, collimate and finish dinner and then about 40mins for darkness to arrive fully ...

When it does at about 8.50pm I started on my list of about 2000-odd "things to do". After the first galaxy pair in Antlia was observed I noticed one small cumulus cloud was drifting up from the south. Didn't look too threatening -- kept going.

Did a few more and when I'm starting to observe No 4 -- it completely disappeared from the eyepiece field along with the stars while I was watching. In the 10 mins since I started, one little cumulus cloud turned into a dozen quite big ones. Five minutes after that -- total overcast.

No worries I thought, still a long of time to go tonight ...

1.45am: pack up.

I got one very brief glimpse of Saturn just before midnight for about 5-7 seconds -- it was bitter-sweet. The seeing was somewhere between very good and excellent and it was rock-steady at x200 with plenty of detail and lots of moons. Looked like it could take x300 -- or more, but about 7 seconds was all I got ...

Drove home feeling somewhat less than "philosophical" about it all.

Know exactly how you feel ...


Best,

Les D

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

Well I decided to start to pack up......and miraculously ......it started to clear. so I'm still out there just doing a few shake downs on equipment I haven't used in ages. Work tomorrow so it won't be a late one. Nice to be out under it again though. Apart from last Saturday it seems like forever.

[h0ughy (David)]

think yourself lucky Paul - its been dodgy here for a very long time - the only place in NSW with 95% dam capacity when all are in drought.

[RB (Andrew)]

I just hate this weather !!
You don't setup......it clears.
You setup.............it clouds over.
You think about packing up, it thinks about clearing up.

This is not a hobby, it's a Chevy Chase Lampoon's Astro Vacation !

[[1ponders] (Paul)]

This is not a hobby, it's a Chevy Chase Lampoon's Astro Vacation

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

It was as clear as a bell over here until midnight when it clouded over completely.
So I packed up, and as I was walking back to the house, it was totally clear.
Can't complain though, it was the best night out I'd had in ages.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Yes I was watching the Goodies while under the stars. An excellent way to pass the time between targets!

[Baddad (Marty)]

Clouds! Yes. And Murphy strikes again. I had a lesson bestowed upon me. Saturday looked good and set up.
Waited for dark and started viewing.
Very strange. everything looked distorted and "shattered". I could not focus it out. WHAT IS THIS PROBLEM?

Packed up and in the light I discovered on my new Schmidt Cass the front lens covered with dew.
Who was it you people said I gotta blame? How does the dew shield overcome this problem?

Looking forward to learning from you experienced people.

[Dennis]

Hi Marty

I have an SCT and even with a dew shield, the corrector plate will begin to dew over in less than 2 hours on those averagely damp Qld nights.

Therefore, I have a Kendrick Dew Heater which has a low powered resistor element that wraps around the corrector plate ring and just keeps the plate slightly warmer than the outside air temp, thus preventing the formation of dew on the corrector.

Cheers

Dennis

[Baddad (Marty)]

Thanks Dennis. I realise I have some research to do but you have given me a start point.
Much appreciated for your advice.
Marty

[Dennis]

Hi Marty

If you would like to see the Kendrick system “in the flesh” before you purchase the controller and dew strips (corrector, eyepiece, finder, etc.) just PM me and you are welcome to have a look at mine.

There are other good alternatives - Ron at Sirius Optics may have the Orion system, I think?

Cheers

Dennis

EDIT:

Perhaps even better, is the Orion dew shield with built in dew heater. I’m pretty sure I saw these at Sirius Optics the last time I was down there.

[rider]

Originally Posted by RB

I just hate this weather !!
You setup.............it clouds over.

Clouds arent all bad.
My neighbours have had the opportunity to learn many new and inventive adjectives which can be used to describe the nature, attitude and parentage of clouds.

rider

[IanL]

Look on the bright side guys. You will be able to setup next time ultra fast with all the practice of setting up and dismantling the equipment.

Ian