Clear skies + 1hr set up = thick fog!

[Johnboy2011]

First decent looking night in ages, I'm not sure why I bother!

[Veracocha]

Forgive me for cracking up at your post but it sums up the frustrations of us all so perfectly well.

[malc-c]

Shouldn't rub it in... but it's really nice and clear here in Stevenage

Sorry !

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

hang in there mate, I'm near ringwood and it's clearing up again over here

[pastiche]

Hi Johnboy2011

I am sending you clear skies ....... enjoy!

[Johnboy2011]

Ha! Good luck to you who have clear skies! Stay away from me, I am cursed. Even if it clears I can guarnetee there will be another problem (due)!

[faulksy]

very clear here scope is gettin ready yipee

[Breakintheclouds]

Bah - just got everything set up for a picture of comet Garradd and the very second I had PHD calibrated a load of thick white cloud swooped over. Sat out in the obsy for a hour and it's still there as Garradd disappears behind the neighbour's house. Sigh.

[M4lcs67]

Been lovely in W. Yorks tonight. Out in my garden in t shirt. Don't know how long that will last though.....

[Odd Dob]

Staggeringly bad dew and humidity here, but hopefully this will sort it out ...

[Demonperformer]

Lots of fog low down at the moment, but Jupy high in the sky is quite clear. Of course, fog low down means light is much more dispersed from the streetlights (and there are plenty of those in Poole!). However, on the basis that any image of Jupiter is better than no image of Jupiter ... Currently capturing number 5 ...

[garethmob]

It was sort of nice for me tonight from around 10 till half 10 then this sort of fog kept lowin in but annoyingly it kept leaving tantalising gaps in the sky of where I was imaging all the time . Ah well. Don't worry it happens to all of us:)

Sent from my Now working iPhone using Tapatalk

[palebluedot]

I too spent a good amount of time last night before dark trying to setup as accurately as poss, anticipating a good night, only to be scuppered by heavy dew.

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[malc-c]

Stayed clear for best part of the night here, but due was a real pain and without shields or heaters had to shut down at around 1pm, but at least I was getting my PHD settings tighter.

[Daz1974]

Shouldn't rub it in... but it's really nice and clear here in Stevenage

Sorry !

It was! Had great fun with a pair of 10x50s from the back garden.

In order of appearance the first things I saw from the first night of using the bins were

1 - A chinese lantern

2 - A satellite (did check up the name but it escapes me now)

3 - Loads of stars

4 - Jupiter + 2 moons

5- far too many easyjets and wizzairs coming in to land

[Johnboy2011]

Right, here we go again for toinight! For the first time in ages I have a day off tomorrow and the skies look clear so fingers crossed for a long session grappling with AP!

Deep breath......

[malc-c]

Right, here we go again for toinight! For the first time in ages I have a day off tomorrow and the skies look clear so fingers crossed for a long session grappling with AP!

Deep breath......

Just pray the dew stays away - it put a spanner in the works last night !

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Looking hazy but cloudless down here near ringwood. It has been a bit muggy all day though so i imagine dew will still be an issue unfortunately

[Johnboy2011]

I am planning to use a heated strip around the ota and a heated dew shield on the C9.25. Do you think that will do the trick, I'm assuming it can't create too much heat and cause thermal issues as they are so low powered?

John

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

I had similar thoughts about the heated dewshields, but from what i hear they cause VERY little tube turbulence.

Edit: UGH, just been out again, only 3-4 stars visible, and they're flashing like strobes Real thick smell in the air like it's just rained, humidity must be nuts tonight.

[malc-c]

Edit: UGH, just been out again, only 3-4 stars visible, and they're flashing like strobes Real thick smell in the air like it's just rained, humidity must be nuts tonight.

Sorry to hear that - Its a nother clear night here in Stevenage (Hertfordshire) although humidity is around 91% with a due point at 15.8c - here's a live feed of current conditions where the observatory is located -

[shaunster]

Edit: UGH, just been out again, only 3-4 stars visible, and they're flashing like strobes Real thick smell in the air like it's just rained, humidity must be nuts tonight.

Not like that here just down the coast at portsmouth, great night so far

[spanky]

Clear hear in Lancashire too. The wind is gusting quite strongly but PHD seems to be coping ok!

I'm experimenting on IC1848, clear skies to you all!

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Just been down the local playing field with a cheap and tiny pair of binos i managed to borrow, didn't want to drive 30mins to my proper dark spot for the sake of some 8x21s.

Upon arriving i found the entire area basked in a bright white haze. Thats right, the one day of the year that they have the tennis court lights on happens to coincide with the day i get access to some binos at last. Add the lights to tonights ridiculous humidity and it felt like i was literally bathing in light. To top it off, there wasn't even anyone there.

Well i pointed them at jupiter anyway since i was there, I knew i'd be disappointed with such small binos, and i kinda was. But at the same time, despite the lighting, and the small optics, it was nice to be out there with something, to at least make an official start to this new hobby of mine.

It was almost like a relief after the last few weeks of staring at scopes online, seeing peoples images, seeing peoples "first viewing" stories and wishing it was me. Perhaps the most frustrating is that i have a 4" reflector that i left out in spain. It isn't a great one, some nameless **** not even worth the trouble of getting it shipped over, but right now, compared to my eyes alone, it'd be a godsend.

So count yourselves lucky, don't take your skies or your scopes for granted

[Demonperformer]

Was a good morning today, and practically no dew (certainly in comparison with yesterday). Just seen the BBC forecast, and looks good for the next few days as well. Yippee!