ZOMG the frustration.

[studio1one]

Just as the sun started to dip me and a pal were sat watching our lads in football training with a bottle each of River Cottage Stinger beer. As we sat in the green and beautiful space, cricket team practicing behind us, the sky was clear as a bell and darkening around the edges beautifully.

My friend, non astronomical, said to me 'wow look at that, you'll have the scope out tonight huh?'

Of course I assented and as soon as football finished in the car and up the hill to our darksite home.

Into the barn I went, hoiking out the scope, weights, tripod, mount etc and happily went off to my mounting spot. On arrivel I looked up and Cassiopeia was just peering out through the gloom and Altair was alredy bright high in the sky.

Cables were fed out from the house, laptops plugged in, Eqmod launched very careful polar aligning performed and I began alignment. Just as I got to the 3rd star I couldn't see much through the EP so I looked up and a small band of cloud was covering it. I waited and managed to align it as a gap appeared.

Sliding in from the East there were more, just as I wanted to start imaging M31. I waited, no gap, more cloud; I waited some more.

It is now 3 hours since I had my mount aligned and ready to rock and I have not seen a single star of Messier since. Just a dull, flat, grey covering the whole sky.

I want to cry.

[Slim]

These things happen to test us lol. Only managed to get an hour in myself but I guess you would snap my hand off for that right now?

[Si W]

Story of my life for the last couple of months, you have my sympathy.

[foundaplanet]

Pretty much the same here although I did manage 20 mins viewing.

All set up and ready to go, again, and as usual it's just the same old pile of pooh..

With sympathy,

Col