Time to give up.

[Moonshane]

you do know that if you do quit then the skies will immediately clear as the clouds are sucked into the box in which you send off your sold telescope?

I agree with general comments about being patient and best skies yet to come etc but once you get to the point of really brassed offiness then it's hard to turn around. hope you do though.

[stevetynant]

I think this is probably my most frustrating hobby with relation to the weather but now's not the time to give up - months of cold dark skies to look forward to - next year in March and November we have two comets heading our way - one is possibly ,if it keeps on track ,a once in a civilization event - how gutted would you be missing out on that.

For me the secret is - just don't stress about it - the Universe is not going anywhere soon.

Treat it as a 3 season hobby - late autumn to early spring - summer to me anyway is just not worth the frustration

Get yourself a good set of bins to make use of when the odd cloudless hours appears when you get home from work

make sure you have other hobbies to spend your free time with - I play guitar, sport and have gotten into wine tasting - you get the idea

Ultimately you know when your limit has been reached but as this is a lifetime hobby for me (hopefully) I think the biggest secret is just not to get too wound up about the weather - we live in Britain - it is what it is.

[foundaplanet]

Certainly, astronomy is not a reliable hobby in its practical form in the uk. I have only been back to observing for a couple of years, for the first year I was getting very frustrated at the lack of opportunity to get out and use the gear I used to dream about owning when I was younger. My disappointments at times were immense, to the point where I would almost be cross with myself for getting back into such a frustrating hobby. Then at some point after seeing lots of the objects I had wanted to see again, it started to sink in. I had got myself some gear again that gives me some beautiful views. I will never be without a scope again, I can not imagine how cross I would feel with myself walking outside into a perfect sky and not owning a telescope.

We all have the rest of our lives, and in whatever form our own stargazing is, we all know there are few things guaranteed to put to put your jaw on the floor...

Well that's how I feel anyway .

[JonnyP]

Just to demonstrate how quickly things can change, I turned in last night with howling gales and heavy rain. This morning there's a clear sky and plenty of stars (and brilliant Venus). Spent a while with the binos before fog/mist rolled in (It's minus 2C).

Funny old country innit

I'll amend the quoted post ^^^^^^^ to my own night.

I went to bed alongside my wife who had been feeling ill all evening, with gale force winds and torrential rain outside at 11.30. She spent the night visiting the toilet every 20 minutes, waking me every time. At 4am I gave up trying to sleep and randomly checked the sky. COMPLETELY CLEAR!

No cool down time, threw the scope out, quick view of Jupiter and then thought I'd try for M81 and M82. 20 minutes later I had them both in my EP. Two new Messier objects, and very, very pretty. Before 5am, more rain came in. At 6.30am I went out to look at Venus and Saturn and thought about trying for Mercury but clouds blew in again.

A night I thought would be a wash-out turned into one of the best for a long time.

Like any hobby I find that astronomy rewards effort and hard work. Yes, it can be uncomfortable getting up at 4 and staying awake for the rest of the day, but the world doesn't revolve around me in any sense, so why would I expect the weather to be correct for me at my convenience? I'd love to be observing Jupiter at 4pm on a summer's afternoon wearing shorts and sipping sangria but it's just not going to happen. Because I don't drink sangria!

And tonight if I check the forecast and see that it's clear from 3am tomorrow, will I get up? Probably not because I'm working tomorrow. But tomorrow night I'll think about it. There are a few more Messier's I'd like to see, and the small hours is when LP is lowest around here anyway.

[Marki]

I feel your pain and frustration...sitting here at work, laughing manically at the BBC weather forecast (not a cloud in the sky all day...) and glaring out the window as it gets darker and cloudier by the minute. Sometimes it really is as if the weather (or the BBC) are doing it out of malice personally direct at me....!

On the the other hand, I had three solid hours of glorious Jupiter watching on Wednesday, and saw things I've never seen before (transit of Ganymede and its shadow plus the great "red" spot). Makes me feel better, and if I chose to remember the first view of Saturn I had back in February through my 8SE, I still get goosebumps! And then I know I'll never be without at least one scope from now on... .

I think Astrobaby's next project should be pamphlet called "Zen and the art of telescope patience" - a sure fire best -seller!

[Baffa]

I got a new kit but I have only been out 2 times, 4 hours in total since september. I'm starting to get frustrated and now i have begun wasting money on useless things, haha.

Skickat från min HTC Desire S via Tapatalk 2

[Si W]

I think you should at least give it a chance till April/May, I dont know about anyone else ?, but with this bad weather we have been having it only makes me more determined to stick with it, and when it is clear it makes it all and more the worth while.

[Qualia]

If the flame of interest flutters out, or you are desiring to do other things with your time, then I think it is time to pack up. Letting go of something doesn't mean giving up, it just means moving on. However, if your interest in the night sky still burns, then it makes good sense to follow its own pace. There's really no hurry, the stars and galaxies are going nowhere fast and it pays to adopt their own rhythm. A clear night has no measure if it weren't for clouds, a sense of joy and wonder have no meaning if they aren't balanced with a touch of sadness and frustration. How could it be otherwise?

[stringbean]

I sold my 6 inch refracting telescope last year and have not regretted it at all. I too got fed up with the fact that in the UK with it's terrible light pollution and cloudy skies that it really wasn't worth my time and more importantly, the financial investment to carry on. I purchased a good quality pair of binoculars for those beautiful wide field views for those moments where there may be a break in the clouds. 'Grab & Go' is very satisfying indeed.

I no longer need to worry about looking after and maintaining my equipment I once owned. I no longer need to want to purchase this or that to add to my arsenal of optical hardware. As you all know, what we have is 'never enough'. No longer am I freezing myself to death on those really cold nights. No more getting frustrated when the clouds roll in after setting my scope up etc, etc.

For the stuff I can't see with my bins, I am quite content to use my computer and watch live streams like 'Universe Today' and 'Slooh' on youTube or their hangouts who train their scopes on the deep sky objects and discuss what we are seeing, all in the safety and comfort of my home. Plus there is a plethora of astronomy related software out there to download and enjoy.

[Jupiterholic]

I've been feeling similiar to this recently, frustrated at the poor weather this year, feeling like I haven't achieved anything and have this big expensive scope I'm not using. Then I decided to look at my astrophotography collection and count up how many photos I've taken in 2012, turns out I've done 50 shots through my scope using my DBK camera (Saturn, Mars and Venus earlier this year, lots of lunar work all throughout the year and a few of Jupiter over the past few months) not to mention 20 sunset shots and 12 'moon in the morning/evening sky' shots with my digital camera.

Thats 82 pictures this year alone.

Starting to think its not been such a bad year after all.

[Astro_Baby]

Wow......seeing posts about expense. On e you bought the kit the expense is over and astro gear really isnt that expensive in the main unless you have gone mental and bought a complete set lf Televues.

I had an aim in mind for kit and stuck to it. I. Ow have ghe kit I want, it would be more true to say the kit I need, and it just sits amd waits quietly for a clear sky. I dont own a single Takahasho or Televue because I ding veel I need the ultimate in observing when I have go deal with UK weather and light pollution. I have sufficient for my needs and over a few years have chopped and changed to get me happy. Job done and now I just need weather to observe but. Wong sell the kit because the skies duff.

What I have tended go do this year is work on projects, an eyepiece case, power tank, observing chair etc. Each of these has kept me busy in something astfo related, the EP case only consumed about 3 months of spare time, and these will eventually be turned into 'how to' guides for my website which will eat some more time. None of it requires weather.

its natural to get a downer on when the weather is bac and some very bood astroimagers have packed up over the years from frustration. Whay not devote some time to learning stuff, getting involved with a project etc.

I got almost to a point this year lf seeing good weather as a nuisance because it gook gime away from other projects........sorry bout that but its true

[scarp15]

Whay not devote some time to learning stuff, getting involved with a project etc.

Certainly learning new stuff and extending your knowledge, can take you in different directions and can be continual and evolving.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I could never give up astronomy. Sure I could sell my gear, but i'd always still look up to the sky during the night. Astronomy is not a hobby for me............its part of who i am, and who i have been since i was about 6 yrs old. The sheer amazement and wonder of it all is a large part of the person i am today.

One thing i dont do enough of is reading about astronomy and educating myself on the subject. I enjoy reading, so it wont be too difficult to get into the habit of reading astro books.

[Catweazel]

Yep, it drives me mad too! Astronomy is not a particularly easy hobby, even when the weather is good for it; I still find myself blundering about, trying to fathom out star maps (and failing half the time). I have dropped one of my scopes, knocked over my EQ5 and damaged the RA motor, bought stuff that I really didn't need in a frenzy of over enthusiasm, and generally made myself feel like a twit (thank god nobody else saw any of it ). So, don't give up, things could be a lot worse

[bish]

I could never give up astronomy. Sure I could sell my gear, but i'd always still look up to the sky during the night. Astronomy is not a hobby for me............its part of who i am, and who i have been since i was about 6 yrs old. The sheer amazement and wonder of it all is a large part of the person i am today.

One thing i dont do enough of is reading about astronomy and educating myself on the subject. I enjoy reading, so it wont be too difficult to get into the habit of reading astro books.

Couldn't have put it better. Observing is just a part of it.

[dtr42]

its not a sprint it is a marathon [or snickers as its now called ] we all long for clear skies everynight but to be honest its the search and see part of astronomy which i like and when its been poor for months the few views make up for it

[LukeSkywatcher]

Couldn't have put it better. Observing is just a part of it.

Well observing is the most part of it (if not the whole thing). Its the gear that is the added stuff that you really dont need to appreciate the night sky.

But i know what you meant.

[bish]

Well observing is the most part of it (if not the whole thing). Its the gear that is the added stuff that you really dont need to appreciate the night sky.

But i know what you meant.

Exactly. I should have said that looking through a scope etc is just a part of it. I had a scope until I was in my late teens. I didn't buy another until I was 37, but I still always looked up on a clear night and read books/mags etc.