awful seeing

matt · #1 02-04-2006, 10:52 AM

Anyone else set the alarm and get up this morning (3am) to be disappointed by the absolutely appalling seeing?

asimov (John) · #2 02-04-2006, 11:07 AM

No. I stayed up all night instead, hoping to catch a break in the cloud here: No luck.

Boy, that shiny brand new C9.25 sure looks good sitting there patiently waiting to be used. *sigh*

matt · #3 02-04-2006, 11:13 AM

hey Asi.

I wonder if there's a category for an award for scopes which just look pretty... just sitting there...not doing much?

9.25 wins hands down!!

asimov (John) · #4 02-04-2006, 11:21 AM

I'm going for the record on how many times I can collimate it with a cheshire & how quick I can whip the home-made cooler in & out of the OTA without actually using the scope..

matt · #5 02-04-2006, 11:41 AM

how'd you find collimating an SCT with a cheshire?

asimov (John) · #6 02-04-2006, 11:48 AM

Well, very very easy Matt. Of course though, I can't verify the accuracy of this by star testing after using the cheshire at this stage.

matt · #7 02-04-2006, 11:51 AM

Yep. I use the cheshire for a quick check but, like you say, star testing is the true acid test

asimov (John) · #8 02-04-2006, 11:57 AM

Just tried an experiment (which I used to do with the refractor) is stick a 2X barlow in & then the cheshire: interesting effect. If one were to go by this method, my collimation is out.

Volans · #9 02-04-2006, 01:31 PM

I did a public observing session last night here at the planetarium. I was using the LX90 and the Zeiss Coude. The seeing was a bit off because Cassini's Division was simply not there (actually come to think of it, how can something that isn't there in the first place not be there?)...you know what I mean.

Alpha Cen. was too low to the planetarium roof to be of any use to anyone so I used Acrux as an example of a double star. I used the Zeiss for that one and it was touch and go in splitting it..so that's another example of the dodgy seeing although transperancy was pretty good.

Everyone enjoyed themselves...that's the main thing!

Peter.

PS...OOOH ...100 posts...YAY

matt · #10 02-04-2006, 01:38 PM

Transparency was also good here too Peter. Which made it all the more frustrating.

Keep in mind too, I was set up ready for imaging and got up at 4 (on a weekend after getting up at 3am all week for work) especially to take piccies and I think that'll provide a contrast in our individual experiences and frustration levels

But it's good the folks there enjoyed themselves. It's all a matter of degrees of demand, eh?

Vermin (Tom) · #11 02-04-2006, 01:41 PM

Seeing what seeing? It's been raining cats and dogs here since Friday.

Volans · #12 02-04-2006, 01:43 PM

Understood all to well Matt. I recall once waiting to observe an occultaion of a 4th mag star by Saturn. I had the scope set up, radio set to the time pip station, tape recorder set up to record my observations.

The lone cloud in the sky crossed at the beginning of the occultaion and passed at the end.

I missed the lot.

matt · #13 02-04-2006, 01:44 PM

someone buy a few astro goodies down there in tas the last week or so?

matt · #14 02-04-2006, 01:48 PM

seeing and transparency are 2 very different things, though.

It's really a heartbreak to have clear dark skies ... and then look through the ep/webcam to see the stars turned to mush and planets with barely any detail coz the jetstream etc has chewed 'em to pieces

Dennis · #15 02-04-2006, 02:20 PM

Hey Matt

You should have warned me at midnight to prevent my noble but futile efforts in trying to capture a few avi's of Jupiter. I battled until 5:00am and finally gave up. I then had a peek at the jet stream map at: http://weather.wvec.com/auto/wvec/gl...JetStream.html
and no wonder!

Cheers

Dennis

matt · #16 02-04-2006, 02:25 PM

Sorry Dennis...

Mate, you are absolutely right. I should have raced straight onto IIS and warned my astro brethren eveywhere of the craptabulous display going on overhead.

I shall take myself off to the room of mirrors and have a long hard look at myself

But I just assumed, based on the images posted by you and Rob, that my seeing warning would be wasted on you folk up north where the seeing's 8/10 or better 90% of the time?

Dennis · #17 02-04-2006, 03:53 PM

Hey Matt

That's given me a great idea. I will process the one "good" (read poor) avi from last night and contrast it, side by side, with my best Jupiter, just to illustrate the difference seeing makes using the same rig, set up, operator etc. This should help dispel the myth that we in Brissie are living in jet stream free heaven.

Thanks!

Dennis

matt · #18 02-04-2006, 04:01 PM

that'd be interesting Dennis

asimov (John) · #19 02-04-2006, 04:14 PM

No need, I think most of us are aware we here in Australia cannot escape the jetstream Dennis!

But a good idea about doing a side by side comparison! Yes please!