Ten Chain Hill New Moon nights - Page 19

AlexN · #**361** 11-03-2010, 04:20 PM

April will be better guys... Surely the sky gods would not allow it to rain on my birthday!

DavidTrap (David) · #**362** 14-03-2010, 09:22 PM

And then comes Cyclone Ului...

AlexN · #**363** 14-03-2010, 09:32 PM

which will clear the skies for us, and make april new moon the best for the year..

RobF (Rob) · #**364** 14-03-2010, 09:41 PM

Anyone get out on Fri night?
It caught me unawares and cleared nicely here after 9pm for hours (I was too tired to have a go though).

AlexN · #**365** 14-03-2010, 09:53 PM

WHATTT?? ROB MISSED CLEAR SKIES!!

I hardly believe it..

Suzy · #**366** 14-03-2010, 11:28 PM

Rest assured Rob, you didn't miss much. I didn't trust the skies, so used binos instead, and was glad i only did that. The Sky didn't last too long. But a hit with the binos wet the apetite somewhat.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #**367** 14-03-2010, 11:42 PM

I've just come in from a bino session tonight.
The sky is beautiful atm.
But I will NOT be tempted to set up the scope.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #**368** 15-03-2010, 12:16 AM

dang, it's still clear, right to the horizon.
I should have set up.

pmrid (Peter) · #**369** 15-03-2010, 01:42 AM

I saw the sky was clearing so dashed over and pushed the roof back - forgetting in my rush to get cracking that the profile on the roof runs sideways not vertically and that water tends to pool on it. The result was a deluge of rainwater all over the wireless network gear and one of the computers. Dagnabit!!!
But I persisted and got set up just in time for the cloud to roll in from the south. So I sulked and rolled the roof back and went home; but by the time I got there, the sky had cleared again, so I went back and rolled back again and started again. But by this time, humidity had turned the obs into a swamp, my glasses fogged up and nothing worked properly. I should have just gone to bed.

Peter.

pmrid (Peter) · #**370** 15-03-2010, 03:57 AM

... and then it cleared again about 1. So I went back again. Tiger for punishment. But actually managed to get the new mount to track (after a fashion). And managed to take the first image through my 20D since I bought it 4 months ago. So after all, some steps forward even though mixed in with a couple going the other way. Thems the breaks.
P.

AlexN · #**371** 15-03-2010, 12:29 PM

Still suffering the pains of dental surgery, I've not been out and witnessed the sky (cloudy or otherwise) since Friday last week... JJJ - you were lucky to see it through bino's at least!

Peter - we'll have to do something about that roof... I've seen it drop water like that before. There has to be a way to remedy that problem without too much hard work.

RobF (Rob) · #**372** 15-03-2010, 06:36 PM

Sensible moves there by the ladies, resorting to binos. I was complaining about the kids being up so late Sat night, then I realised I could hear rain on the roof, so that night was never going to work.

Peter - you're a real glutton for punishment! I know how you feel though - sometimes you're determined to do SOMETHING astro related. If this weather keeps up I'm going to have to go back to watching TV dammit.

Tandum (Robin) · #**373** 15-03-2010, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobF

I'm going to have to go back to watching TV dammit.

Not all bad, episode one of The Pacific is up for download.

Skippy was saying tomorrow night was clear, but now it looks like every other night

RobF (Rob) · #**374** 16-03-2010, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tandum

Not all bad, episode one of The Pacific is up for download.

Skippy was saying tomorrow night was clear, but now it looks like every other night

Yeah - I noticed that too Robin. I was already starting to draw up a list of candidate targets - that's what did it I expect

AlexN · #**375** 16-03-2010, 12:42 AM

haha... I have a list of targets in my head.. I don't pick one until I'm set up under clear skies these days.. been disappointed too many times now!

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #**376** 16-03-2010, 01:39 AM

I was in to it tonight!!
My main goal was to get a drift align done, so I can dig in some pavers tomorrow morning. Naturally the clouds rolled in as soon as I'd finished the alignment, so I got out my brand spanking new 9mm eye piece, a barlow and the O111 filter and started doing visual instead. It shocked the clouds right out of the sky. Got in at least an hour of observing before packing it in.
Clear tomorrow night you say?
woo hoo!

Good O!!

pmrid (Peter) · #**377** 16-03-2010, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexN

Peter - we'll have to do something about that roof... I've seen it drop water like that before. There has to be a way to remedy that problem without too much hard work.

The only answer is to redo the roof. I'm going to buy some roofing material today - run the profile up and down instead of side to side. The side-to-side thing was a by-product of the shed being a horse shelter by design.
But it's not all bad. The existing roof won't be wasted. I'll remove that rubber matting that form the lower walls. It will then go on the floor inside. And the profile off the roof will replace it. So there is a plus.
It'll take a couple of days but the results should be a big improvement.
Peter

RobF (Rob) · #**378** 16-03-2010, 09:05 PM

Sounds like good cloudy weather work Peter!

pmrid (Peter) · #**379** 16-03-2010, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobF

Sounds like good cloudy weather work Peter!

... and on that basis, I should have plenty of time to attack it - weeks if not months of endless cloud, rain and not much else. Sigh!
Peter.

AlexN · #**380** 16-03-2010, 09:29 PM

Indeed - I give this weather another month.. we'll come into autumn and before you know it, we'll have endless clear skies, imaging opportunities left right and center, and lots of happy, semi-nocturnal astronomers wishing they had more sleep rather than more clear skies