Comet and cloud cover

bloodhound31 · #1 24-01-2007, 11:33 PM

I have been up to Mount stromlo every night nearly, since the 15th to view this comet. I got ONE good night! I suppose I should be grateful I got that..and I am I suppose.

But every day here in Canberra we have beautiful, crystal clear days with magnificent skies.

I get home, pack all my scopes, tripods and cameras in the car, drive up there , set up wait...........sun goes down....comet makes a slow appearance...and clouds just magically materialise out of nowhere and blanket the whole sky in 20 minutes....

Has anyone seen the little german kid throwing a hissy fit? This is how I feel every night the clouds cover this magnificent spectacle!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxkd_jd4Vb4

Well...Im off to try again tomorrow night.

Until then...

Baz

Barry's home made observatory

http://members.iinet.net.au/~armstead

dhumpie · #2 25-01-2007, 12:37 AM

Hey Barry,

I have that same problem is Bris Vegas. The clouds just seem to know where to cover. Its so exasperating!!!!!!

Darren

rmcpb (Rob) · #3 25-01-2007, 09:52 AM

The blue Mountains have the same problem, two good nights to the west.

matt · #4 25-01-2007, 09:59 AM

Funny you should mention it, Baz.

My partner Rae and I were having the same hissy fit the other night.

We were commenting on how "amazing" it was that the days here in Canberra are perfectly clear and then sunset sees the cloud appear with cruel timing.

The other night, I swear there was not a cloud in the sky in the area of the comet and then just when it would have been showtime, the smallest patch of cloud developed to perfectly obscure the comet and was then joined by other patches out of "nowhere".

All other areas of the sky -clear!!!!!

What can you do?

dhumpie · #5 25-01-2007, 10:19 AM

Its the same here in Brissie. We had nice clear (well muggy) skies in the arvo. And then it clouded over and rained. Sheesh. I have so far only managed to get one okay night of viewing and that was not even half good. Spied the comet through clouds.

Darren

leon · #6 25-01-2007, 08:20 PM

Well We have been luck in Ballarat Vic, two cyrstal clear nights in a row and another expected tonight.

Cheers leon

Tamtarn · #7 25-01-2007, 08:24 PM

Yes finally here in Melbourne and outer areas we have been blessed with clear skies almost every night since Monday

bloodhound31 · #8 29-01-2007, 10:34 PM

Now that I'm just about Mcnaughted out, the clouds break and besides the moon, seeing is PERFECT! Victoria has even put out its fires so there is no smoke haze.

Ironic.

Baz. (feeling glass is half empty).

erick (Eric) · #9 30-01-2007, 12:02 AM

Pic 1 - Sunday 14th Jan - Clear sky except the SW horizon. As the Sun sank behind the clouds, the comet blazed briefly just above the cloud line, but not long enough to be photographed successfully. It was bright!

Pic 2 - Monday 15th Jan - No clouds, but severe bushfire smoke. Here is the sun setting into the smoke. No sighting possible of the comet.

Pic 3 - Tuesday 16th Jan - Smoke much less, but heavy cloud on the SW horizon. Pretty sure the comet was behind that cloud line.

It was Friday before I saw Comet McNaught in Melbourne skies for any length of time.

dhumpie · #10 30-01-2007, 05:23 PM

The skies in the daytime were glorious over Brissie so I had big plans to travel up to Mount Cootha to view the comet. But just as the sun was setting along came the clouds from ????**## where. Caught it briefly behind some thin clouds (and possibly smog) but that was it. Sheesh. My wife who was with me commented "that it was not even naked eye". Arrrgggg I have not got a decent view of the comet yet!

Darren,
Brisbane

stephenmcnelley · #11 30-01-2007, 08:26 PM

Its a bummer Darren thats for sure, we have had ONE opportunity to see the comet here over the past two weeks, and luckily i was back here on that good day.

I drew a picture of it just to satisfy the need to see it, it is not a good picture.

bloodhound31 · #12 30-01-2007, 10:05 PM

Darren, now I don't feel so bad. Mate what a bummer. Keep praying mate, I did and it worked. Prayed for Shawns dome too so the rain would stop long enough for him to get it together. He listens mate.

I'll put in a good word upstairs for you too dude.

Baz.

dhumpie · #13 01-02-2007, 10:16 AM

Yeah haaaha. It seems like the clouds know just where to park themselves...right over the area where the comet it

Oh well like you said all I can do is pray...

Darren

cometcatcher (Kevin) · #14 02-02-2007, 03:56 AM

I have had 99.99% cloud cover and 0.01% comet.

Haven't seen it rain like this since 1990.

dhumpie · #15 05-02-2007, 02:04 PM

Finally the clouds parted and the comet was visible...but it has faded and is a ghost of its former self two weeks ago. I showed the comet to my wife and a close friend and both of them said that it did not look spectacular. Oh well at least I finally got to see it under clear skies 9and got a couple of dodgy shots in). By contrast I think the views I got of the comet through the clouds on the 22nd of Jan were much better than what I got last night.

Darren