Am I cursed ?

[ultramol]

In November last year I drove to chesterfield to buy an eight inch telescope, on a night that bristled with stars. Going through the countryside I was guided by Jupiter high above me whilst thinking of the pleasure I was going to get looking at it in all its glory with its bright moons tethered in its mighty power. I thought of the far away galaxies and clusters and everything else I could glimpse whilst pressed to the eyepiece. Prior to getting my scope I remember looking up on quite a regular basis dreaming of the day I become a telescope owner and all the things I would see. What happens, since getting it 6 months ago nearly every single night has been overcast , raining or a full moon ! It has been blue skies at teatime and I have set up my scope so many times in the daylight only for it to cloud over at dusk. My better half thinks I am barmy . I have sat up at night waiting, only to go to bed knackered when the firmament never appeared through the clouds and to wake up to a glorious morning with not a cloud in sight just to rub salt in the wounds. Still, I would not swap the experience of seeing Andromeda so far away, seeing the planets as they traverse the ecliptic and wondering what is going on out there for anything. I feel I am cursed since buying my scope but I know it is probably just the same as when I did not own one, the difference being I now want to look up every day if possible and if you want to class astronomy as your hobby then the thing you need in abundance is patience (something her indoors has none of ) !!! ( Ouch, she just saw me type that) For the love of God when is it going to clear up...........

Despondant, Lancashire

[Ally8446]

In November last year I drove to chesterfield to buy an eight inch telescope, on a night that bristled with stars. Going through the countryside I was guided by Jupiter high above me whilst thinking of the pleasure I was going to get looking at it in all its glory with its bright moons tethered in its mighty power. I thought of the far away galaxies and clusters and everything else I could glimpse whilst pressed to the eyepiece. Prior to getting my scope I remember looking up on quite a regular basis dreaming of the day I become a telescope owner and all the things I would see. What happens, since getting it 6 months ago nearly every single night has been overcast , raining or a full moon ! It has been blue skies at teatime and I have set up my scope so many times in the daylight only for it to cloud over at dusk. My better half thinks I am barmy . I have sat up at night waiting, only to go to bed knackered when the firmament never appeared through the clouds and to wake up to a glorious morning with not a cloud in sight just to rub salt in the wounds. Still, I would not swap the experience of seeing Andromeda so far away, seeing the planets as they traverse the ecliptic and wondering what is going on out there for anything. I feel I am cursed since buying my scope but I know it is probably just the same as when I did not own one, the difference being I now want to look up every day if possible and if you want to class astronomy as your hobby then the thing you need in abundance is patience (something her indoors has none of ) !!! ( Ouch, she just saw me type that) For the love of God when is it going to clear up...........

Despondant, Lancashire

I feel your pain. I work 60+ hours a week and when I've got a spare night, which isn't very often I can tell you, it's either completely overcast or raining. On so many other nights when I don't get in till 8pm (up again at 5am) its reasonably clear...

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH

[hobsey]

Just count yourself lucky that you can actually set up during the day just in case.

Where as, I live in a flat with no gardens or balcony to prepare for those rare moments of clear skies.

[DaveS]

Don't worry, it's not just you, we've all been suffering from the dire weather, some to the point of selling up.

No, I have not the slightest idea about when the weather will improve.

[gooseholla]

Well, despite the weather being bad lately, looking in my log book, I went out 7 nights in May. That doesn't include 3 or 4 when the moon was shining near full and it was clear. So it isn't all doom and gloom. Now, not all of those have been perfectly clear or clear for long, maybe 2 hours or so, but taking every opportunity possible really helps.

[laser_jock99]

I had a string of good nights observing in both April & May- it wasn't a complete washout. Of course it would have better if there were more.....

[Goonrdolly]

It's been a fortnight here had three good nights in a row now it's just grey and rain it's supposed to be spring more like November on acid clear skies soon I hope

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[Vanilla]

ultramol..um...I like you, I really do but didn't you think that trading your Soul for a Telescope from a store named "Diablo's Lens and Scope Shop of the Damned", was...ah.. bound to have consequences ??

[Pete Presland]

if you are, we all have been as well!

[Kbramley]

I think we have had it particularly bad in lancs, even with my now permanent shed obs I have only managed a handful of nights this year, the few times it's been clear there has been a full moon or the wind has hampered any real attempts at imaging there is an outside chance tonight may offer an hour at midnight, although several weather forecasts all say something different.

keith

[carolyn_charlesworth]

Thank god.. I thought it was me that had cursed the night sky!! I have been having some glorious nights of gazing upwards at the wonders of the universe, rediscovering my love of space so I ordered my first proper telescope.. It arrived Tuesday. It has been cloud cover central in the night sky over the midlands ever since. I have been offering to sacrifice my son, my other half, my soul for some glimpse of anything other than cloud to no avail. I now know that I am completely in the clear and that the fault is all yours. This pleases me greatly [emoji6]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nightfisher]

We seem to be having a rough year  so far, like a lot of people on here, i work long hours as a truck driver, i get a good few early starts and it always seems to be proper clear, if i have to bed down early, i dont think i have had a scope out more than 5 times this year, and these have all been short sessions

[Kbramley]

Well wouldn't you know, tonight's forecast is clear, no moon, no wind and it's the weekend, this can only mean something critical in my equipment has just fallen apart

keith 

[Pig]

Get yourselves a solar scope in addition to your other scopes and see the best views of a star you will ever get to see.

When you combine the 2 the frustrations caused by our UK weather are almost reduced to Zero. It is the best choice I ever made.

I now have peace in my life

[ultramol]

It seems it's not just me then. The problem I have is lugging the gear out only to have to lug it back again, (bad back ). I cannot leave it outside here unatended as it would disappear like my other one did. I would love a solar scope but the spare money I have is going towards getting my imaging bits and bobs. Still, keep doing the lottery and I may be able to buy myself a mountain in south America one day...

[cotterless45]

You've got to work around the weather. Look at forecasts with radar on, these will tell you gaps between cloud banks.

Being retired , I've a bit more time and have managed 47 sessions this year so far. Including a stunning 4 hours on the 25th of May. Don't give up even in summer. There are some beautiful sights along the Milky Way.

We are very near to the longest day , after that we gain 3 minutes of darkness per day and those crisp clear

Clear skies!

Nick.

[astro mick]

You've got to work around the weather. Look at forecasts with radar on, these will tell you gaps between cloud banks.

Being retired , I've a bit more time and have managed 47 sessions this year so far. Including a stunning 4 hours on the 25th of May. Don't give up even in summer. There are some beautiful sights along the Milky Way.

We are very near to the longest day , after that we gain 3 minutes of darkness per day and those crisp clear

Clear skies!

Nick.

I like your optimism Nick.

Mick.

[ultramol]

The moan worked !!!! After all my moaning we got a clear night, now I understand why the wife moans so much !!! Its like when I am fishing, you wait an hour for a bite and as soon as you have a sandwich your float goes under......