So what's stopping you

[PorkyB]

I regularly see posts on this forum where people say that they haven't been out observing in ages and haven't been to a (relatively) dark site ever. Now I have a job and a family, so I certainly have plenty of demands on my time, but I have managed to get out 8 times in the first 13 days of this month. These range from a quick hour in the garden to a couple of full nights out at dark sites. In those 13 days I have had two full nights out a dark sites and two shorter visits. Only last Tuesday I read a post about someone wanting to get out there, whilst I was actually sitting out in the courtyside looking at the milky Way. There has been much talk about meeting up at various sites but as far as I am aware, no-one has actually made it out there.

So what's stopping you? I am not having a rant, or having a go at anyone, but I am genuinely intersted to know why we all seem to want to do something, but have so far failed to do it.

[steve_bham]

Try not having a garden! Some people don't have a garden so can't go out for a quick hour session.

I have to travel to observe so need to make 100% sure it will be worth the time.

Also work from 6am to about 6pm during week so weekends are the only real spare time I get.

[Beulah]

Sometimes mate life just grinds you down and you just want to go to sleep at night. Sometimes those cloudy nights or the 'teasers' (where you've spent a whole setting up to a clear sky then it clouds over) get a bit much and you lose momentum. Sometimes you actually want to spend time sitting indoors with your family in the evening when you've pulled a 60 hour week.

People shouldn't feel or be made to feel guilty for essentially doing something they enjoy. Think we have enough people at the top beating us with sticks!!

As my Dad has said once before, you can only get full enjoyment our of star gazing if you have no obligations in your waking hours so that you can have the option of kipping in...the rest of us have to develop patience for those rare crystal clear, cloudless skies (13 nights so far this year in my area) and try & work it into our hectic routines..

[Ganymede12]

One word CLOUDS.

[Northern Soul man]

Hi Porky, as said all over this site and whats been mentioned on this thread - its difficult to get a meet organised as we all work different hours, days, nights - don't get me wrong it would be great to get everyone together for a good old meet up with a fine selection of scopes at a nice dark site to look through and share tips and hints to help all who attend, and for the new gazers to have a look through potential scopes which they're interested in, the West Mids is a large area and different distances to each site for all of us.

Chadwick End and Cosford have been mentioned - both opposites of the area, for me Cosford is half the distance than Chadwick, for others it may be the opposite - slap bang in the middle of the area is probably one of the largest light polluted conurbations, so for me , travelling to Cosford would be ideal for me (when I can find the directions to it!!!!!).

So, for me, I have to settle for observing from my garden - probably when the winter sets in and we have a good run of high pressure with regular clear nights, the meet ups may begin - but for now ?????

Paul.

[PorkyB]

It is inevitable that real life gets in the way from time to time. I did feel particularly bad driving away from a dark site, with a fabulous clear sky, last Tuesday night at 11pm but with work in the morning it was the sensible thing to do.

It is also true that people shouldn't feel obliged to take part in any activity, even if it is something they enjoy. My two main interests are astronomy and cycling, with Saturday being the day I can get out for a long ride. I am not cycling today. I do feel a little guilty, letting such a good cycling day "go to waste", but I was up until 6am and really don't have the energy for it. I shouldn't really feel bad, just for choosing not to do something which, it must be remembered, I only do for my own enjoyment. Similarly I know there will be nights when I go to bed leaving a perfect sky outside.

The thing I am struggling to understand is that there are people on this forum who have not been out stargazing for months. That's a long time to be not doing something you enjoy. We can't blame the weather: last Friday and Saturday nights were excellent, last night was excellent. There have been good nights in the week as well and while those of us who work Monday to Friday can't stay out all night there is the possibility of getting out for a bit.

For many people, astronomy is a social activity. I like observing on my own, but it's a whole lot more enjoyable when you share it with someone else. Last night I was out until 5am with two good friends. It was an excellent night and the pleasure I have gained from it will last me until the next time we can do it.

[Beulah]

Sorry about coming on strong Porky. I'm in that place at the moment where I am very tired and have new neighbours who light pollute more than the previous guys which means packing the scope up in the car to take 'er out. Can't help being a DSO nut!

Sometimes obstacles like that are a little too much and I admire you for your tenacity.

For personal reasons I can't attend the W. Midlands meets but I hope that you guys can get it together soon.

[steve_bham]

I think it's seasonal as well. I can tend to get out more when it gets darker earlier in the night. So during summer months yes I do less observing.

But the dark nights are coming so more observing

[JohnC]

Like many, i find it difficult to get in much during working weeks.

I love winter when it is possible to get in a few good hours and still be fresh the day after.

Roll on winter

[Alastair Rae]

I get so little quality time to observe I might as well study theoretical astronomy. What with work, LP and clouds, I do so little actual star-gazing I sometimes feel a fraud on this site.

[dtr42]

i get out whenever i can but staying in west cloud land it gets a bit annoying to set up and then get 10-20 minutes also i believe that real life comes in and raises it's ugly head ,its alright saying i can stay up till 6am [unfortunately i work from 7am till 5pm and then i'm on call every second day for emergency cover. meeting up is great although it may be clear where you are ,traveling 30-50 miles for a meet up only to find astonomers murk has beat you too the meeting place it can be and is dissapointing. it's great when you get that 5-6 hours to observe but it only happens once maybe twice a month if your lucky and if you have work/other responsibilities then its a no brainer .

[iamjulian]

I have been out (in the back garden) three times this month. Before that, I think it was March.

For me, real life gets in the way ALL the time. You said you felt guilty leaving a dark site at 11pm. By 11pm on any given night I have been alseep for a couple of hours. Everthing fell into place on Friday and I stayed out until 1am - and nearly fell asleep in the garden I too would love to make a local meet, but it will depend on everything falling into place again. Other things take priority. They just have to.

[Northern Soul man]

I think if your like me - I've been at it for years now and I tend to find that as the months change and the year goes by the back garden is just a couple of steps away - set up time is a breeze - I don't have a car - just a motorbike - so no endless trips carrying gear to the car, driving for maybe 30 mins to an hour only to find the clouds rolling in, at home its no big deal, a few minutes packing away. Then there's the issue of light pollution from the garden - making only the brightest of objects within reach so I tend to view the same objects year after year - trying for fainter objects only to find nothing at the eyepiece. I think if I were at a dark site - looking up only to find the constellations visible from my garden have disappeared. But as said before the winter months give us much more time to spend under the stars - I had to get up early Saturday morning and popped my eyeballs outside about 5 ish and WOW Venus to the East and Jupiter riding high in Taurus - never seen her so high up before - role on the Winter. Paul