A Reassuring Statistic...

[fatwoul]

Hello all. Not been around for a while. Apologies for that, but I'm happy to see things are as interesting and helpful here as they were when I last visited.

This is for those of you, like myself, who find themselves despairing at the rarity of a clear night:

On my observatory computer, all imaging sessions are kept by date order, and I create a new folder each session. Folders don't get created unless everything is underway and I am ready to start saving images, so the folders are a good record of the number of times my observatory operates.

I was recently depressed to see that between 30th August and the end of November - during which we seem to have had a disproportionate amount of cloud and rain - the dome has opened 16 times.

I get very fed up about this, and had that "what's the point?" feeling a lot of us experience now and then. I even considered down-scaling my operation; selling the dome and just keeping a dob for occasional peeping.

But then I started thinking: 16 sessions in exactly 3 months. That's 16 sessions in 12 weeks, so my dome is getting used well over once a week, even during this horrid spell.

A guy who spends thousands on golf clubs will probably only play once or twice a week. Chances are a person who spends tens of thousands on a boat will only take it out at the weekend.

So really, my hobby is getting as fair a crack as any other would get, it's just that the sessions are clumped together into a few days of clear skies and weeks of subsequent cloud.

Ever since I realised that, I felt a lot better about my astronomy/astrophotography, and don't feel quite such a chump for investing in an observatory in cloudy Devon.

I hope that helps to cheer up any fellow semi-newbies who are getting a bit disillusioned.

[atmenterprises]

Great way to keep things in perspective!

[rowan46]

You may be right but I am sceptical as I read somewhere that 98% of all internet forum statististics are made up

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

The first night out with my scope made it worth every penny, anything after that is a bonus.

[crashtestdummy]

Ive not managed anywhere near 16 observing sessions in that time so count yourself lucky!

[wookie1965]

Ive read that 80% of internet forum statistics are correct and the other 50% are incorrect

[VigdisVZ]

I'd be overjoyed with a session each week

[pete_l]

16 sessions in 12 weeks sounds pretty active, to me.

I usually reckon on 10 - 20 imaging sessions PER YEAR. That's taking into account not just the weather, but full-moons, anti-social behaviour (e.g. the local football club's floodlights), other commitments and being simply too knackered.

Oh and having a dome takes you well past being a semi-newbie in my book.

[adamsp123]

I could only dream of getting 16 clear nights between Aug and Nov , I use the same technique of folder usage and the number this year is appalingly small.

[Freff]

Good to see you back fatwoul.

I thought 16 days in 12 weeks, wow!!, I'll have some of that.

I was lucky to get in 5 good sessions in the same period.

[Astro Imp]

First, pleased to have you back.

Thanks for the post, when you really think about the enjoyment you get for the financial outlay our hobby is quite low maintenance after the initial spending spree.

[fatwoul]

Thanks for all the welcomes. To be honest I'm not quite sure why I've been away for so long. SGL has been the friendliest forum I've been on, so I should have come back sooner. I think I was hoping to go away and work on imaging, come back and dazzle you all. I realised that if I stayed away until then, the internet will have been destroyed and we'll be ruled by cyborgs. Or giant cockroaches. So, here I am.

Sorry to those who were made to feel WORSE by this thread. I wish you better weather in 2013.

I suppose having a dome does also distort the data a little; before I had my telescope permanently installed, I would have to stand in the garden for minutes, trying to decide whether the cloud to the north was going to get worse, and usually just decide not to chance it. With a dome, you can just open up, spend the 20 minutes setting up and hope for the best.

[opticalpath]

Thing I've noticed particularly this year is that a lot of nights have looked good at the start of the evening, but soon deteriorated into a 'wet' milky sky.

Plus of course the perennial problem of the good nights seeming always to coincide with a bright Moon!

It's still all worth it though.

Adrian

[Beulah]

Great wisdom there Fatwoul!

[Astrosurf]

Thanks for your encouraging words Fatwoul. I judge the quality of my observing by how much I get out of it: being with my astro group and enjoying the company, learning a little more, seeing something I've never seen before and, as much as poss, getting a really good image. It doesn't matter which. It's quality not quantity!

Alexxx

[fatwoul]

You're absolutely right. Of course, Olly seemingly has clear nights half the year AND produces intimidatingly good pictures every time...