W/C 7th January

[swamp thing]

Hi All

Hmmm! My weather apps not looking good for this week

[Leebert]

Hi Steve,

Yep - it's not looking too clever is it? Surely 2013 can't be worse than 2012 can it???

[jimieee]

It's annoying isn't it?

I was planning to go to this astronomy4everyone.org.uk/item/356227 on Friday, because it's not far from my house. It looks like it will be too cloudy though.

[Optical Dob]

Hi everyone,

Its been a over four weeks since I last used my scope. Think we did get some clear skies in that time but had other things going on. Wednesday might be a possibility.

James dont count out Friday just yet.

Neil

[jam1e1]

Feels like about 3 months since got decent night out.....looking forward to some clear skies....eventually....

Hi Neil welcome to the group!

Jamie

[PeterW]

Friday, just after StargazingLive ends...l yep I reckon a fairly good bet for a clear sky. I find forecasts seem to give any answer you want and keep promising clear skies in a few days only to change to grey skies as the time approaches. Anyway the moon will be beginning to make its presence felt into next week.

Peter

[Optical Dob]

Thanks Jamie,

I have made a few mods to my set up. I put a stone under one of the legs.

Did anyone see that yellow thing in the sky today?

[swamp thing]

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Friday, just after StargazingLive ends...l yep I reckon a fairly good bet for a clear sky. I find forecasts seem to give any answer you want and keep promising clear skies in a few days only to change to grey skies as the time approaches. Anyway the moon will be beginning to make its presence felt into next week.

Peter

I've noticed that too Peter it really grinds my gears. Empty promises to try and cheer us all up.

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Did anyone see that yellow thing in the sky today?

Yeah! It was a bit of a shock

[PeterW]

Got scared his morning with a blue sky and a thin whir crescent in it... Turned a nice comfortable grey by the time I left the house a few mins later. Nice and damp now, lovely streetlights to help guide my way!

PeterW

[Woking]

You got to feel sorry for the BBC Stargazing Live team and event organisers, it's 3 years in a row they've been clouded out now!

[knobby]

Maybe that should tell then something, perhaps move it back a bit to September ish

[Optical Dob]

I can see clearly now the rain has gone.

[Leebert]

Yep. Stars here too and only the odd whisp of cloud. The dew is something else though!

[swamp thing]

Anyone fancy a trip up to RC after SGL ?

[Astro_Baby]

I was going out tonite but the firecast is for clouds and drizzle and right now its clouding up the west so I think it willbe a bust. bUT weather is now turning cold and forecast is for clear later in the week. If it clears at all I will be up theretomoz or Friday.

[Optical Dob]

Anyone fancy a trip up to RC after SGL ?

Yes

[swamp thing]

Gotta agree with Mel it's looking a bit suspect out there now. Pretty hazy here. Best see what tomorrow brings me thinks.

[jam1e1]

Just coming back from London, was crystal clear up there, apart from immense light pollution! Met weather said thick cloud all this week, only night I'm out away........

[Optical Dob]

Hi Astro-Baby,

I hope it didn't look like I was ignoring you advice about the weather. I did not see you post before I posted mine. Love your web site learnt a lot from it.

Managed to get some observing in from home. Cloud came in at 12. Good views of Jupiter with its moons pointing down. Spent a long time looking at Orion.

[Woking]

_{I was driving back from Farnborough around 9.30 last night and it did look clear, albeit misty patches. The cloud looked to be rolling in again though, must have been good conditions from 6pm so hope some of you managed to make use of it.}

_{On a side note, we have a Stargazing Live victim, my brother In the past he's had a few views through my scope and bins and I knew he was watching the series as he text me last night about Betelguese, so I emailed him this morning tongue in cheek recommending the Skywatcher Skyliner 250PX Dobsonian. About an hour later he emailed back saying he had ordered it}

_{Good recommendation on the scope? I could'nt think of a better enclosed tube 10" dob for the price to be honest. He's got a south facing garden in a semi-rural part of the East Midlands so the dob made sense.}

_{He's already ordered FLO's Cheshire Collimating ep and a Telrad which I've subsequently recommended.}

_{Anyway, my Baader Zoom, Vixen 30mm and planisphere now have a new home.}

[Optical Dob]

Good recommendation on the scope?

Short answer yes and your other recommendations. Think he will be very happy. Have you told him how big the boxes are ? Probably best

not to. Alll adds to the fun

[Woking]

I emailed him a photo with a chap sitting using the dob, his reply was funny

He's got a garage to store it in so not a problem and I did explain if he changed his order to the 8" he'd only regret it further down the line, which he fully agreed with.

Great value these dobs, twice the size of my frac and only 40% the cost and that's just the OTA

[Optical Dob]

I've never opened one myself but have seen them in their boxes at a shop. Theres a utube video of someone opening one in his kitchen. They are good value but as you know theres a lot more going on inside your frac.

BTW that text wasn't suppose to be small in my last post. .

[Astro_Baby]

Optical Dob, no worries I hadnt even noticed, it got foggy here quite soon after stargazing live.the we some clear pat hes but I decided it wasnt worth the hassle for perhaps an hours worth of only average seeing. Unfortunately its all gone to [removed word] again now and its doing my head in.

[Leebert]

It was a bit of a result last night with it being clear for a while although the dew was savage!

I started off on the Pleiades, dropped to Hyades, on to Jupiter and finally stopped at the Orion Nebula before dew stopped play. A good and unexpected evening of observing