Roll on winter

[LewisM]

Just cannot cop a break here in SE QLD - if it's not afternoon cumulus build up, it's smoke thanks to Noosa council burning off (I thought control burns were supposed to be winter/spring?). There would have been 3 usuable nights the last 7 days, but all no-shows thanks to the smoke!

Now the wind has changed direction slightly, but the cumulus is building...

I guess the scopes go in moth balls till June at this rate. We all know the monsoonal rains will hit us Jan/Feb, so may as well be a pessimist!

Last time out over a week ago I got exactly 3 subs of 5 mins in before it rolled in off the ocean.

Astronomy is just ONE of the many reasons I love winter

[MattT]

Come live in Melbourne Lewis. You can have winter just about any day of the year....was Autumn this morning and now it's becoming Summer with a forecast change for.....
Matt

[LewisM]

Yeah Matt, but at least a lot of you Viccos seem to be getting in imaging /visual time!

I got a look at the moon the other night - nice red-brown moon thanks to grass burn off...

[stevous67 (Steve M)]

I love the winter too, as there is nothing like 14hours of imaging time in one night!

Steve

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

+one for me too summer has only just started and already I have had enough of it

[pgc hunter]

Originally Posted by MattT

Come live in Melbourne Lewis. You can have winter just about any day of the year....was Autumn this morning and now it's becoming Summer with a forecast change for.....
Matt

Lol ain't that the truth! Melbourne is wintry cold with that insipid slate-grey stratus cloud and gusty sour-weterly winds about 75% of the year, and "summer" sees more of these days than anything resembling summer. It's a vicious cycle of 1-2 warm-hot days, followed by a week or more of cold cloudy maritime anti-cyclonic gloom. If it's not that, then you are guaranteed high cloud, usually arriving right on sunset - this has ruined almost every observing opportunity this manky year Plus we get the burnoffs on any and every clear day in autumn, just like clockwork. And naturally, we are expecting a cold overcast drizzly Christmas while everywhere else in this country will get warmth of some description. Melbourne SUCKS

Atleast the seeing is good most of the time, 200x is routine on planets, despite being fatally located in the basement of Australia.

[andyc (Andy)]

Must be a different Melbourne... 6 clear nights in the last ten (over New Moon too) lots of sunny days (some fresh, a few hot), forecast's got a nice weekend coming up...

[LewisM]

Typically, last night here was useable (though some cumulus, but it was CLEAR seeing), but we had the family Christmas get-together at my sister's house. By the time that was over, there was a littlle more cumulus, and again after the drive home and thinking about setting up at 2230, the cloud really rolled in.

It's now 7am, and the day is 6/8th's at 3000' or so, so unless that burns off - likely BUILDS - tonight will be a write off too.

[xstream (John)]

Originally Posted by andyc

Must be a different Melbourne... 6 clear nights in the last ten (over New Moon too) lots of sunny days (some fresh, a few hot), forecast's got a nice weekend coming up...

I agree Andy, different Melbourne on a different planet maybe!

[Kunama]

After 4 days away from home with clear skies, I get back to telescopes and get this:

We are right in the middle