Is there s best time to observe

[JonDoe]

following on from the thread started by Claire1985 and being a very frustrated newcomer to astronomy i was wondering is there a time of year thats best for observing.

Do you get more clear nights during the summer or is it so random that you just have to be prepared for whenever a clear sky presents itself.

when planning a star party do you just pick a date and keep your fingers crossed, or does plenty of ale make up for cloudy sky .

many thanks Jon

[AstroJOE]

Hi Jon

In theory the summer should have more clearer nights but this is the UK and the seasons dont come with any guarantees! Also summer months tend to mean 'warmer' evenings (I use the word warmer very loosely) which mean warmer air currents and therefore often poorer seeing, not to mention having to wait around much later for the sun to go down and the stars to come out! Not ideal for those of us working early the next morning!

For me winter into spring is the best time for observing, long dark nights and lots of great things to look at including Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, Orion Nebula, Andromeda Galaxy etc. So as long as the weather plays ball and stays night and cold with clear skies then this is the ideal time for me........

For the past 12 months the weather hasn't really behaved at all though so to answer your question more accurately, the best time to observe is'whenever it stops raining and the clouds have gone, regardless of whetherthis is Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter!!

Hang in there!

JOE

[JamesF]

Spring was definitely my best time for 2012, but I've done far better during winter in previous years than this year. To be honest I think the number of good nights we get you've just got to take your chances when you can, though I know some members don't bother at all over the summer.

James

[twotter]

Best time to observe? After my neighbours have turned off their lights and gone to bed!

[pete_l]

I'd go with spring, too.

Historically, it's had more clear nights than other times of year. it's also warmer than winter and (IMHO) has more of a spread of interesting objects: the winter ones are still viewable during th4e evening in early spring and the summer ones are coming up in the latter part of the season.

So far as summer goes: although there are some clear days, the nights are short and around midsummer the sky doesn't get dark until far too late (if at all) to be convenient.

[crashtestdummy]

Agree with the above,why someone needs to have their garden illuminated untill midnight is beyond me

[Jove]

I find that winter (December/January) has the best selection of things to look at, but the weather often miserable. The most pleasant observing for me is late Summer - August into September, when the nights are getting darker but the air is still pleasantly warm.

[Mr Flibble]

Just whenever its clear to be honest. Although I don't know if its just me but I find summer skies can often cloud over just after it gets dark even if its been clear all day, maybe something to do with the heat from the day rising? Don't know to be honest. And autumnal nights I find tend to be very dewy which is annoying if you're not prepared with some dew prevention kit. Winter and spring are generally very good times when the weather is playing ball. Out of interest I heard on the news its been the 3rd wettest year on record which takes some doing considering many parts of the south east were on drought alert early 2012!

[claire1985]

I love winter skies. Gets darker earlier so don't need to be up so late. Plus I know the winter sky a lot better

[Naemeth]

Winter skies are much better than summer skies, when I started in March, I thought the skies were great, by the time I got my telescope it was May and thus never really got dark until midnight, and even then it's not dark for very long. It is comfortable observing when it's about 14 degrees Celsius outside, but I much prefer the dark of winter, where astronomical darkness (Sun is below 18 degrees from the Horizon) lasts for hours and hours. Just wear lots of layers, and gloves!