Anyone got clear skies?

[Kai]

Had to stop imaging for now. For some reason my netbook decided now was a good time to start installing 'Windows Automatic Updates' which has caused PHD Guiding to fail! Time to nip inside for a warming drink while I wait for the re-boot.......

The amount of times i have heard swearing at Starparties when this has happened

[Kai]

Very nice and clear here , all the streetlights are off , seeing is steady , a few shooting stars........tell me why more people dont get up at 3am

[laser_jock99]

Very nice and clear here , all the streetlights are off , seeing is steady , a few shooting stars........tell me why more people dont get up at 3am

I'm still up! The planned street light switch off in Warks won't start till December. Be interesting to what difference it makes?

[jonathan]

It has been nice and clear here near Scarborough, had a couple of hours on the Moore Marathon, only saw one meteor (from the North). Still very clear looking out there now, crisp and cold too. (5am now).

Had a carbon monoxide detector alarm just as I was about to go to bed at 11pm though, cleared it by opening doors and windows but haven't really felt inclined to go to sleep after that. Most likely fumes from the wood burning stove which is now well and truly out, but can't be too careful. Frickin' freezing in here now!!

[pete_l]

Just watched the ISS go over - right through Leo. It seemed a lot brighter than usual. A combination of very clear skies and dawn coming up soon?

[laser_jock99]

Just watched the ISS go over - right through Leo. It seemed a lot brighter than usual. A combination of very clear skies and dawn coming up soon?

Saw that pass over too. Packing up now, cold, tired but happy.

[euphony]

Clear here, but I made the mistake of going out early thinking that I would get a few hours in as it was dark. Incorrect. I hadn't factored in all the neighbours all around me with bright bedroom and bathroom lights constantly being switched on and off. In the summer it's fine because it gets dark later, so I start later (and most people have started going to bed then) and I can't see most of it because of tree growth. Now the trees have shed their leaves....oh dear

So that's a lesson for me to learn there.

It wasn't all bad, I managed to few Messiers 36, 37, 38 and some decent open clusters I haven't viewed before. Nice quick glimpse at Jupiter, Uranus, M27, M56, M15, M76 etc. Struggled with galaxies though, I think the accumulation of all the lights from houses streaming out was just making the seeing a little too difficult and washing out fainter objects. I could have seen M1, but by the time I remembered to slew to it, it had disappeared behind the house!

But like I say, I now know to not go out until about 10pm and stay out until 1-2am, instead of going out at 6:30pm like yesterday evening

(Still only seen M42 in binoculars in the morning before work and desperate to see it in my scope!)

[jonathan]

I was surprised to see M33 last night before 9pm, there were still plenty of back yard 5billion candle search lights on but they were in the other direction, and the occasional full-beam headlights pointing directly at me from the hill across the valley. *thinks of Bill Murray in Ghostbusters being blinded by Egon's head lamp*

[wookie1965]

Well got fairly good views of Jupiter,M45 and Hyades clusters but wanted to do the binocular Moore marathon had accident dropped binoculars and one side snapped off i was mad. Came in had a coffee went out and there was pockets of clouds so packed up and came in altogether need to buy some more binoculars now anybody heard of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VISIONARY-CLASSIC-8x40-BINOCULARS-BIRD-WATCHING-NATURE-/260426737986?pt=UK_Photography_Binoculars_Monoculars&hash=item3ca2a4a942 and are they any good.

[rustyjames]

Lovely and clear last night,meg and I were out for an hour or so around 11 eyes streaming kept fogging up bins but not bad session,meg got to have a good look for andromeda

[Marki]

Was pretty good for me - seeing was steady, but I thought the transparency wasn't great - seemed to be quite a bit of moisture in the air. Nevertheless got some great time with Jupiter and Orion. Had some power and tracking issues with my Nextstar 8SE, though - the celestron system just doesn't work as well for me as the iOptron Nova goto on my minitower.

Had planned to do some concentrated double splitting time tonight - bbc promisedit'd be clear til 6 or 7 tonight, but a high thin cloud/haze developed as soon as dusk fell!

[laser_jock99]

Looking at the Countryfile 7 day forecast it doesn't look too promising for the rest of the week- make hay while the sun shines........

[Beulah]

Thanks for the netweather heads up. I cannot stand the Mess Office's new graphics.