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Stargazing Live weather info should be part of the standard BBC weather report.

Quatermass

By Quatermass
in The Astro Lounge

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Quatermass

Quatermass

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Lol me to but we are forbidden from talking about religion on the forums so I call it an obsession. Hopefully the bbc will do an astronomy weather forcast for us all with there sky at night programme you would have thought someone at the bbc would have done this years ago.

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iwatkins

iwatkins

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Do bear in mind that the BBC only broadcast the weather, the Met Office provides them with the content.

Even so, good idea, after all, they do a forecast specifically for the farmers (on Countryfile) and they do one for the skiers (during the season).

I would also like to see the Met Office produce a quality astro forecast on their website. I've asked several times from external contact (even though I work there) and it is being considered. If you contact the Met Office, do it via Twitter, seems to the be the best way. Just send a tweet asking for astro specific forecast, including seeing/transparency. With enough requests, it'll push the priority up to get a routine product up on their website. The Met Office people who man the Twitter feed (24/7 I should add) have won awards recently, they really are very good.

As for this petition, yes, go sign it. However, I will say this, I think this is the fourth one on this specific subject raised. If there was a bit more coordination, one of them might have made it through by now.

Cheers

Ian

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David JM

David JM

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Lol me to but we are forbidden from talking about religion on the forums so I call it an obsession. Hopefully the bbc will do an astronomy weather forcast for us all with there sky at night programme you would have thought someone at the bbc would have done this years ago.

Gardner's Question Time has a 7 day forecast once a week, precedent set? And they broadcast the shipping forecast 2/4 times a day depending on if you listen to FM or LW.

Astronomer's version of the shipping forecast? "Leo, transparency good, no cloud"...

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Quatermass

Quatermass

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Would a better idea not be to contact the Met Office about a stargazing forecast, after all, they provide the forecasting service to the BBC.

Yes you may be right there but I was thinking more of the link with stargazing live and all they put into that. Ie if your going to promote stargazing then lets have an astronomy weather forcast as well.

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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The only difference between this type of forcast and a normal one is that if it is going to be clear they put a little telescope symbol on the map. Not exactly scientific.

Now!!!!!!!!!, if they talked about transparency,seeing etc..........that would be of benefit.

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iwatkins

iwatkins

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Trans and seeing are well understood these days so combine that with some of the high resolution NWP models the Met Office runs routinely and the results could be very good.

Combine the output with the new map based products on the Met Office website and you get a great result.

Just needs them to do it. I was working on them from the inside for a while, but got disheartened. :hello2:

I just run my own system now.

Cheers

Ian

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Sorry Ian. I know trans and seeing are understood. I dont mean for the weather presenter to educate us about them but more like give us the current trans,seeing readings etc.

I still think looking out the window is the best way to check the cloud cover.

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iwatkins

iwatkins

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Sorry Luke, I wasn't clear (been a long week).

I meant to say that *calculating* seeing and trans is well understood and easy to do. It's actually quite cheap in computer time to do as well.

Agreed. We have all seen the graphics showing "percentage cloud cover", you can even get them on the Met Office site now. I envisage the same but for trans and for seeing, do it in shades of blue or something. Then on the website for site specific forecasts, instead of maps, have a graphic much like 7timer etc.

It is easy to do, honestly. Just needs the will to do it for real. And that will only come if enough people actually ask for it. It is "our" Public Weather Service after all.

Write/email/Tweet the Met Office. Do the same to your MP. It is really the only way to get things rolling. Just coming on a forum and saying "I wish...." doesn't cause change.

Cheers

Ian

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