How much wind, is too much wind!?

[M00NMonkey]

Hi All.

Astro-fever is rife, the new EP has arrived, making up small batch of tomato & scotch bonnet soup (to warm the cockles later) and the skies looking like they will be clear most of the night!!

The only problem is it maybe pretty windy. So, my question is, what is the wind limit for DSO viewing?

Obviously, I wont be going out if gale force winds, but just wondering how badly viewing is effected? I am aware that at high mag, strong winds will shake the tube and make viewing hard, but its more how wind effects viewing when there is air movement in the tube.

I am sure il give it ago and find out anyhow. And I am not going to get angry at the wind, as it has taken out a 50ft oak tree during the night, and has cleared an extra bit of sky for me to see from my dark site

Cheers

Jez

[nephilim]

Hi Jez, dso's are better observed with a low mag ep so the wind isnt as big an issue as using a high power.....Unless of course its blowing a gale, I've heard the 200p is a little like a 'sail in the wind' when the gusts move in.

Steve

[mikeyrea]

Hi Jez - I guess is a case of try it and see.

Like yourself I've got a nice site visit lined up this afternoon, the return visit of which will take me across the mountains in darkness. I'm hoping that this will afford me the opportunity to get my first glimpse of Uranus, but the forecast says that although clear, there might be a bit of a breeze.

If it's so windy that it's hard to stand up I'll obviously give it a miss - otherwise I'll have a go. As it's quite big the 200P will sway a bit if it's breezy so it'll try and get it in a nice sheltered location behind the Xsara Picasso.

Good luck and I hope that soup lasts until this evening! Watch out at that dark site of yours in case there's a few more wobbly trees!

[M00NMonkey]

I've heard the 200p is a little like a 'sail in the wind' when the gusts move in.

Steve

So the best idea would be to attach it to the new boat I have acquired due to all this blooming rain!!

[M00NMonkey]

Hi Jez - I guess is a case of try it and see.

Like yourself I've got a nice site visit lined up this afternoon, the return visit of which will take me across the mountains in darkness. I'm hoping that this will afford me the opportunity to get my first glimpse of Uranus, but the forecast says that although clear, there might be a bit of a breeze.

If it's so windy that it's hard to stand up I'll obviously give it a miss - otherwise I'll have a go. As it's quite big the 200P will sway a bit if it's breezy so it'll try and get it in a nice sheltered location behind the Xsara Picasso.

Good luck and I hope that soup lasts until this evening! Watch out at that dark site of yours in case there's a few more wobbly trees!

Cheers Mikey

Should be fine tree wise, nothing is able to hit me, i have checked it out . I do have a fairly sheltered spot but sometimes the wind has a tendency to swirl where i will be located, so, like you say it will be a case of have a go and see.

Thanks

Jez

[Qualia]

There's quite a famous wind which blows through my part of town - so well-known it's even been given its own name - and extracting the effects it has on the OTA itself (gusting into it and shaking the telescope) I have found that image quality is significantly reduced, details are lacking and often fuzzy. I've been keeping a record and so long as the wind remians within Beaufort 1 to 5, I'm doing okay, 6 is fine for Moon but if it picks up into 7+, I just don't bother.

[M00NMonkey]

There's quite a famous wind which blows through my part of town - so well-known it's even been given its own name - and extracting the effects it has on the OTA itself (gusting into it and shaking the telescope) I have found that image quality is significantly reduced, details are lacking and often fuzzy. I've been keeping a record and so long as the wind remians within Beaufort 1 to 5, I'm doing okay, 6 is fine for Moon but if it picks up into 7+, I just don't bother.

Thanks for info, Qualia. I am not familiar with the beaufort scale, Il google it now so i can figure it out

Cheers

Jez

[Extreme Fencer]

Finally got my new mount up and running heq5 pro synscan and SW 200p polar aligned and everything. Pretty impressive how stable the mount was in the wind tonight.

Did a deep sky tour. Changed EP and banged the focuser had to come back indoors and tighten up the focuser clutch hex thing.

At least I believe it actually can goto properly.

[nephilim]

I'll tell u exactly how much wind our 200p's will take Jez....21mph!!!!! haha, been out tonight & the moon was amazing but tried Jupiter & it was all over the place, not a chance.

Steve

[M00NMonkey]

Cheers Steve, good to know for the future. The wind wasn't my problem tonight, found a sheltered spot and was having an amazing time..... until the clouds rolled in yet again. sigh

[nephilim]

Yep that happened to me around 11pm, at least we're getting a little observing done for once

[M00NMonkey]

Yes, indeed. Managed to find M31 for the first time in my life. But the horsehead and flame weren't playing ball haha. Next time! was also hoping to see Saturn, which I think is due around now, but that will have to wait for another time too

[acey]

If the wind is gusting any more than about 20mph (Beaufort 5) then I would consider that too windy.

[mikeyrea]

Well done you guys for getting in some observing. I located my mountain top viewing site and sat there in my car for an hour waiting for the 'clear sky' to appear as per the BBC forecast. Got about 2 minutes of stunningness as there was no LP up there. Could make out the 7 stars in Ursa Minor even though I'd just hopped out of the motor and had 'interior light eye'. Got the EQ5 up and banged on the weights just in time for it to cloud over again, and then the rain came on...

[M00NMonkey]

Well done you guys for getting in some observing. I located my mountain top viewing site and sat there in my car for an hour waiting for the 'clear sky' to appear as per the BBC forecast. Got about 2 minutes of stunningness as there was no LP up there. Could make out the 7 stars in Ursa Minor even though I'd just hopped out of the motor and had 'interior light eye'. Got the EQ5 up and banged on the weights just in time for it to cloud over again, and then the rain came on...

Yes, I too was promised a better evening by the Met office and the clouds rolled in. But we have to remember that the forecasts are all based on their 'Best Guess' and to be fair they are getting better.

[ollypenrice]

Wind does two things. It nudges your scope and it screws up the seeing by creating sudden changes in temperature at different altitudes. The antidote to both is to settle for low power widefield viewing.

Olly