Cloud cover

slowflow (Barry) · #1 27-12-2013, 08:41 AM

I've no stars for about 3 weeks now, clear sky until about 4 then the clouds just roll in. It is a little frustrating.
So which of you in 'The Shire' got some nice new gear and ordered the cloud?

BlackWidow (Mardy) · #2 27-12-2013, 09:30 PM

I setup about an hour ago. Nice clear skies all day. Came inside to have tea and went back outside. Full cloud cover and no chance at all. I am sick of the weather this year. If it's clear it's windy, no wind and full cloud cover. I have had two nights in the last 12 months. I think my running a costs so far are about $300 an hour when I consider all I have spent relative to usage hours.

Not happy doesn't even come close

Mardy

scagman (John) · #3 27-12-2013, 10:16 PM

Hi Mardy,

Same thing here. Not a cloud to be seen until I slewed to my first star to do an alignment and all I got was clouds. I've had a few more nights than you this year by the sounds of it so my hourly usage costs would be lower than yours at least.
Not looking to promising here for the next few nights either.

Cheers

Screwdriverone (Chris) · #4 27-12-2013, 10:26 PM

I just looked out and saw the cloud clearing and have been monitoring weather apps all afternoon.

I cackled with glee and started hauling out the HEQ5, went to charge my mobiles in the bedroom and the wife says: "Where are you going?" ..."The sky just cleared so I am taking out the telescope?" To which she replies " Can you not make it a late night as I want everyone to help clean the house tomorrow".......................... .....................

Needless to say this made me grumble, so I turned around, mumbled something along the lines of "well I won't bother then" and packed it back up again.

Jeez Louise!!!!!!

Tell you what though. IF tomorrow evening is clear, SHE is making dinner, as I am going to be set up and running at twilight, it's been so long between drinks!

Its going to be a while before I can get the obs built, but it can't come soon enough! This sort of crap is pissing me off.

Cheers

Chris

P.S.
My day: Got up at 715am, went to the pool shop to get water tested, to the shops to change over some of her clothes, Bunnings for a powerboard and pool stuff, chemist to get a script filled, back home, did all the ironing, vacuumed the floors, cleaned the kitchen, put the dishwasher on, did a load of washing and hung it out, mowed the lawn, went to the shops to get some things for dinner, a trip to her sister's to pick up some left over Xmas ham, made 5 different dinners for the family, cleaned the kitchen again, sat down and had a beer, looked up at 10:00pm and finally saw stars rather than clouds.......and then she pulls that crap on me?????

Kunama · #5 28-12-2013, 10:23 AM

What !!!! You got to sit down and have a beer, and you're complaining ! I have made a stubby holder that clips onto the vacuum cleaner wand, it's the only way I get a beer !!!

Camelopardalis (Dunk) · #6 28-12-2013, 10:34 AM

Night before last i had high hopes for a bit of planet watching, it'd been a lovely clear day. Just before sunset the sky started opening and closing loudly

Prep for tonight...forecast is looking good

BlackWidow (Mardy) · #7 28-12-2013, 01:15 PM

Well last night was no good and today I have clear skies.. Yay yay

Well that would be good if it's was blowing force 10. I recon I could fly a button on a piece of string! Hmmmm haven't got anything else to do, so I might try it

What is going on with the weather over the last 12 months? Oh well I will just sit down tonight and read my Sky at Night mag again. The pages are getting a little worn.

Or I could polish my scope !

Mardy

Baddad (Marty) · #8 28-12-2013, 07:08 PM

Hi Barry,

"So which of you in 'The Shire' got some nice new gear and ordered the cloud?"

A moderate priced astro toy Christmas gift would certainly invite the clouds.
However to keep the clouds around day after day has to be someone in the fortunate position that family is spread around and the gifts keep arriving.

Time between gifts, about 24 - 48 hrs.

Its just typical of the modern times. People are so inconsiderate by gifting astro toys when many of us have holidays and time to enjoy more viewing.

Hopefully you can find the scoundrel and effect some kind of reprimand

Cheers

el_draco (Rom) · #9 28-12-2013, 07:46 PM

Shhhhh!!! clear skies at my new dark site. Nobody farts...RIGHT

EDIT:

Okay, who did it? 10:00pm and 90% cloud cover.

pgc hunter · #10 28-12-2013, 08:53 PM

I haven't observed in weeks, mostly due to work, but this "summer" is a joke. Cold southerlies with the usual stratus rolling in right on evening and then stagnating till 12-1pm the next day and repeat.

Should really fill in the backyard pool (useless - Melbourne is too cold with crap summers to bother) and reuse the space for an observatory

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #11 28-12-2013, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackWidow

Well last night was no good and today I have clear skies.. Yay yay

Well that would be good if it's was blowing force 10. I recon I could fly a button on a piece of string! Hmmmm haven't got anything else to do, so I might try it

What is going on with the weather over the last 12 months? Oh well I will just sit down tonight and read my Sky at Night mag again. The pages are getting a little worn.

Or I could polish my scope !

Mardy

Sorry Mardy, going to be cloudy a little more, I just purchased another scope for the Observatory...