What do you do when the weather turns?

[shelby90]

What astro-related things do you partake in when it's cloudy/rainy? Simply keep planning for a clear night? Come on this site? Shop for new equipment? Read some astro-related book? I've been struck with fog after many nights of clear skies (bound to happen eventually) and just wondering what people do aside from cursing the weather gods.

[Gino Arcari]

Hi shelby, when the weather isn't too good I tend to either read magazines on astronomy to get a heads up on the best things to view every month, I browse this sit A LOT too! I also enjoy 'window shopping' but online for telescopes, cameras etc...it tends to give me motivation to earn money so I can buy particular things and upgrade.

[seo]

Hi shelby90,

When the weather decides that I have to stop using my equipment to do Astronomy as for example almost 2 weeks now ... I usually use the that time to process astronomical data, fix, upgrade, update or create/make anything involved with with astronomy that I don't do the "good" days/nights. If i don't have something astronomical to do (that's a rare thing up to now) then I do everything else that needs my attention or I just give some nice time to my self.    

[ChrisLX200]

I disappear into my worshop to make needed accessories, I'm a bit behind with stuff I really need to make.

ChrisH

[SteveNickolls]

Hi, on average 1 in 6 nights here are good for observing but I have known over a month go by without a clear night's sky so your question is a good insight into our 'collective condition' and that's wherever you may observe from.   It's meant to stop us becoming obsessive.

However, never let a dark, clear night go by without getting out and observing. Writing up the observing log can then take the next night up if the weather turns out unsatisfactory. Second have some plan(s), maybe organising some futute viewing sessions or researching an upgrade etc. A word of caution however-Window Fever, whether showing up as symptoms of constantly checking the conditions outside or actual window shopping (now made so much easier by the Internet) when it sets in can be very damaging to the wallet/purse but is much beloved by vendors everywhere. Our collective Window Fever purchases helps to put their children through university.  Anecdotal experience indicates Window Fever to be proportional to the length of time without any actual observing and can be psychologically harmful. Maybe take up solar observing to increase your observing possibilities each day? 

Or take up some other form of astronomy, for example meteor detecting. The best money i have ever spent was on the DIY parts to make an aerial and a software radio. You can meteor detect 24/7, stay in the warm and learn so much.

In addition there are online astronomy courses you can participate in and broaden your understanding of this field, or get a good book to read.

Oh, and others build up posts on SGL. 

Carpe diem/carpe noctem.

Cheers,

Steve

[LukeSkywatcher]

When the weather turns i go out observing because the norm around here is cloud.

[laudropb]

I sit and pine for the very occasional clear, steady skies I get. I read through old observation log books. Learn from past mistakes and remember those occasional special nights.

[Pete Presland]

Processing, processing and more processing.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Tapatalk

[sungrazer]

Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session, Maintain, Clean, Plan next session....

You get the idea.  Given the weather recently, I have some very clean gear.

[beamer3.6m]

Watch TV.

Read

Talk to the wife...

[kev]

Browse SGL, talk to the cats, the rabbits, the wife....

Sent from my iPhone so excuse the typos!

[shelby90]

Ahh I see, I see. Very good suggestions.

SteveNickolls, window fever, seems like that could get pretty severe! I'd bet the prognosis is worse when alcohol is involved (just my guess, not from any personal experience whatsoever  ). Never thought about meteor detecting, that sounds real interesting. I'll look into that, thanks! Solar observing has caught my attentions though, don't know a whole lot about the material needed, but I'm sure this site will remedy that.

Kev, guess my cats and dog will be hearing from me quite a bit! They don't mind 

[Mr Spock]

I spend my time here watching you lot

Sometimes beer helps...

[Paul M]

Being mostly an armchair astronomer, I'm not affected by the weather too much!

[Tim99]

Hi Shelby - I can only read about stuff so long then I have to get out there and try it.  I sure have enjoyed learning and buying and learning and buying.  Ha  Where I live in Western New York, the Great Lakes create a lot of bad weather.  On cloudy nights, I have enjoyed meeting people here on SGL.  i have learned a lot from people here who are willing to share what they know.  I am also an Amateur Radio operator and that's a nice hobby to do when the weather is bad.  I am a woodworker so this winter when it is snowing and blowing, i plan to design and make an AstroLoungeChair to be able to sit and use the telescope.   

[shelby90]

Paul, that's lucky!

Tim, designing your own chair sounds great. I'm trying to decide on a chair now, but can't seem to find anything that totally makes me happy. Maybe I'll just use a camping mat. Good luck to you! And I definitely agree about this site, so many awesome people! The great lakes are certainly that--great! It's amazing what they are capable of.

[scarp15]

Catching up on sleep, I am not a natural night owl, last week after the lunar eclipse I did not hit the sack till nearly 5am, so down time spent indoors after work or meeting up with a few friends in the local is fine for cloudy skies and full moon phases. My occasional forays to venture out observing usually involve driving some place. It is great to make the most but sleep patterns can go to pot. Planning time on here in-between trips is good.  

[Mak the Night]

If I'm not surfing astronomy sites I'm cleaning equipment or planning something astronomy related. I often play with my astronomical software. Pretty much the same as everyone else lol. There's always internet shopping ... *sound of Visa card being cut in two* 

[shelby90]

Catching up on sleep, I am not a natural night owl, last week after the lunar eclipse I did not hit the sack till nearly 5am, so down time spent indoors after work or meeting up with a few friends in the local is fine for cloudy skies and full moon phases. My occasional forays to venture out observing usually involve driving some place. It is great to make the most but sleep patterns can go to pot. Planning time on here in-between trips is good.  

I can relate, I'm not a natural night owl, either. I think that is the hardest part of this hobby for me- just staying awake! Although I do find it nice to nod off under the stars 

If I'm not surfing astronomy sites I'm cleaning equipment or planning something astronomy related. I often play with my astronomical software. Pretty much the same as everyone else lol. There's always internet shopping ... *sound of Visa card being cut in two* 

I like playing around on stellarium. And I have to restrict my time on amazon sometimes as truly awful as that is   

[Mak the Night]

I can relate, I'm not a natural night owl, either. I think that is the hardest part of this hobby for me- just staying awake! Although I do find it nice to nod off under the stars 

I like playing around on stellarium. And I have to restrict my time on amazon sometimes as truly awful as that is   

I love Stellarium and have used it for years. I even had the PortableApps (Windows) version of it on a pendrive so I could run it on any Windows computer. I occasionally demonstrated it to some of my SEN classes and they always loved it. I could give them an astronomy themed lesson! Unfortunately It started to push the BIOS clock forward by a couple of seconds around about the time they changed the rendering engine (three years ago?) though so I only run it on Ubuntu now. I like Cartes du Ciel, the Virtual Moon Atlas, Celestia and the lunar globe in Marble Earth. On Android I like SkyPortal, Deep Sky, Planetarium and Lunar Phase. 

Unfortunately my Visa card survived and I'm about to invest in a Lumicon UHC filter ... online shopping is just too easy ...   

[triton1]

I,m with Michael(Mr Spock) watch and listen to you lot rant and rave about the -------- and to see what crazy new projects are afoot.Always cheers me up.

[shelby90]

I love Stellarium and have used it for years. I even had the PortableApps (Windows) version of it on a pendrive so I could run it on any Windows computer. I occasionally demonstrated it to some of my SEN classes and they always loved it. I could give them an astronomy themed lesson! Unfortunately It started to push the BIOS clock forward by a couple of seconds around about the time they changed the rendering engine (three years ago?) though so I only run it on Ubuntu now. I like Cartes du Ciel, the Virtual Moon Atlas, Celestia and the lunar globe in Marble Earth. On Android I like SkyPortal, Deep Sky, Planetarium and Lunar Phase. 

Unfortunately my Visa card survived and I'm about to invest in a Lumicon UHC filter ... online shopping is just too easy ...   

Thanks for mentioning those other programs. A lunar atlas sounds great! I love observing the Moon. There are so many useful tools out there, I'm coming to find out. The Mayans would've been so jealous   And yes, online shopping is TOO easy. I finally took a risk and bought a chair online that was recommended to me. Fingers crossed that it's nice 

[Saganite]

Hi Shelby,

Anything related to Astronomy, including, when withdrawal symptoms are severe, collimating a well collimated reflector !

[Mak the Night]

Thanks for mentioning those other programs. A lunar atlas sounds great! I love observing the Moon. There are so many useful tools out there, I'm coming to find out. The Mayans would've been so jealous   And yes, online shopping is TOO easy. I finally took a risk and bought a chair online that was recommended to me. Fingers crossed that it's nice 

Yeah, the VMA is a classic, especially if you observe the Moon a lot. It's fairly easy to install on Windows, there is a huge choice of plug-ins.

These are the installers for the VMA and the plug-ins I use. I keep them in case I have to re-install it (on Windows). 

http://ap-i.net/avl/en/start

I suppose online shopping has the downside in that you are buying things on faith in many ways. Amazon once lost a Moon filter I ordered but they did reimburse me. I hope your chair doesn't turn out to be a lemon! 

[JamesF]

I can relate, I'm not a natural night owl, either. I think that is the hardest part of this hobby for me- just staying awake! Although I do find it nice to nod off under the stars 

You may perhaps find it easier to get up early though and both are useful for observing.  I'm very much a night owl, but absolutely terrible at early mornings

I have far too much to keep me occupied on cloudy nights.  I have astronomy-related software that I'm working on, there are my bees and chickens to organise things for, I'm still working on building my home brewery and planning an observatory, reading up about sundial design so I can make one myself, I live in a money-pit of a house that always needs stuff doing, I try to spend two or three hours a week swimming, I work for myself so there's always stuff relating to work that needs tidying up, for the next seven or eight years at least I'm a childrens' unpaid chauffeur and if I'm really absolutely desperate then I might watch television, but things have to be really quite dire before that becomes an attractive option.

James