Scottish question (open to all)

[Floater]

I've swithered (Scots will know; others will be able to work it out) about where to post this and hope I've got it right.

I'm a newcomer to the hobby and have spent almost all of my time collecting what I think is the equipment I want - and far too much money on equipment I haven't been able to justify yet.

And all because the skies have been dreadful.

I've looked at the sky with the naked eye for many years but have not paid as much attention to 'seeing' conditions as I do now, having acquired a telescope. My question is: are we experiencing a particularly bad spell in Scotland and, especially, in NE Scotland? Some weeks ago the days were bright and clear but the nights always clouded over. Recently (past three-four weeks), it's just been grey and overcast all the time. I believe the west of Scotland fared slightly better than the east?

Anyhow, what do you folks with more experience and/or different experiences think? I know it's not properly dark even at 0200 hrs where I am (57N) and that conditions are not likely to be close to good at this time of year. But has this recent spell been unusually frustrating or is this the norm? As Victor Meldrew used to say, is it me?

I expect Charic, Dude-with-the-Tube, Goranmagdic (to name only three) and others will know what I'm banging on about but, please, anyone with any meteorological memory or related knowledge, join in and let's have a good old moan ...

[SlyReaper]

Patience.  You'll get clear skies sooner or later.  And you live in Scotland, which is an excellent place to avoid light pollution.  Wait until winter, the nights will be long, some of those nights are bound to be clear, and you'll have epic views that a southerner like me can only dream of. 

By the way, your dog looks awesome.  I have a springer myself.  Totally loopy, but brilliant.

[ronin]

No point in moaning, complaining or much else, it's called weather, and it is part of a chaotic climatic system and we are at a really good chaotic location.

Well unless you know of someone who is controlling the weather and causing this.

You are at 57N, Moscow is 55N, are you not grateful that you do not get -40C temperatures in winter?

Said somewhere else, we are on a rock in the North Atlantic, not a rock in the Mediterranean.

[Floater]

Ah, SlyReaper, I fear you suffer from the usual misconception - Scotland=dark. And I mean no ill by that.

I live in Aberdeen. It's not huge by any standard but it's a city, with all the light pollution that goes with any city. And NE Scotland is notorious for haar. I suspect you've never felt that wet, chillingly cold, blanket rolling over you.

Nevertheless, you're obvious good wishes are warmth enough for me, for now.

Clear skies.

And yes, she's a lovely dog - springer/collie - and the pic prolly does her more justice than she deserves, on occasion.

[SlyReaper]

Well unless you know of someone who is controlling the weather and causing this.

Not yet they're not, but as soon as I finish designing my telescope-mounted cloud zapper, I'll make millions selling them to frustrated astronomers. 

[Floater]

Ronin, go easy, tiger.

Of course you are right. I just wondered if we were experiencing something just slightly out of the ordinary. And hoping that I could hope for better ...?

[RikM]

For as long as I have been a member on SGL, we've been saying that this is the worst spell of astronomy weather anyone can remember. It seems to be the case all over, not just Scotland.

My location might say Gloucester, but the M in RikM is for McRae

[Floater]

Rik, that's precisely what was worrying me - that this is how it is and how it will be.

I was hoping against hope that Loungers would flood back with words saying this was a biblically bad spell and that everything would soon return to halcyon clear skies (ahem!).

We are such a short-lived and myopic species.

Power to the McRaes.

[pete_l]

I think is comes as a shock to most people in the UK when they start astronomy. As "the general public" we tend to remember the nice, sunny days of each year and simply filter out the weeks and months of cloud, rain, fog and drizzle. It's only when we take an interest in the sky and specifically the night sky that we start to see the reality.

When I was in the UK I kept a notebook of observing nights. I reckoned on maybe a couple of dozen a year that were cloudless. That was in the "sunny" S.E. mind you. I do remember there was one year with 5 nights in a row of clear skies. It only happened once, though.

I also had some computer scripts that checked the Met Office weather observations throughout the country, for years on end. From those, I came to the conclusion that the best time of year for observing was spring: Mar, April, May.  Those were the months that had the most clear nights (which surprised me - I'd naturally assumed that the summer was the season of clear skies. It turned out not to be). I also came to the conclusion that, despite the claims of all the south-coast holiday resorts, that the east coast: Norfolk, Lincs had the most clear nights.

Not that any of this is any use to you, in Scotland, in the summer.

[Laurie61]

I was talking to a relative who fly's model aircraft, he was saying that about 5 yrs ago he noted a change. He had previously been able to go fly his model two or three times a week but now does not get one day quite often, he went from 130 ish flights a year down to 40 last year. He won't fly in wet or windy conditions and said the wind stops him as much as the rain. From my location it certainly feels as though I get less opportunity's. years ago I would go out a couple of nights a week, now it's a couple of nights a month

[scarp15]

I wouldn't necessarily consider that North East Scotland (or NE England for that matter) is prone to more bad weather than West. We do get a lot of sea fret and blanket cloud cover that rolls in off the North Sea but often miss the unsettled Atlantic weather patterns that impacts Cumbria. More a case of six and two three's.

Not the best time of year for observing sessions, besides the light nights, if venturing to a dark site likely that there are midges to contend with, pollen seeds floating around etc.

Here in North East England, the weather has actually been just fine, though it is nice not to plan and think to much about opportunities around work and social plans, lunar cycles and of course weather conditions. The cat and mouse game where the weather is concerned will begin again in earnest from late August.

[HighlandBoy]

I know what you mean Floater.

I got home after my my last trip offshore to unpack my new scope and in the 3 1/2 weeks home I managed to get out with it once. Lovely clear sky during the day then about 9pm the clouds started to roll in.

Now away again for 4 weeks so I hope the conditions are a bit better when I return. I want to get out and play with the new toys!! 

[Dubhar]

Keep in mind where we live. Its not the place for cloud free nights for very long, ever. There's been a few reasonably clear night in the west of Scotland the last few days, but its the same as anywhere in the UK, we get a lot of bad weather from the ocean (i presume), i've always came to the conclusion that the east of Scotland seams to get slightly better weather than the west, but maybe im imagining that.

Clear summer nights are nice but you don't get much dark sky's, half the sky just now is constantly light blue here even after sunset, I tend to hope for clear weather in winter, longer nights means you can make more use of the night.

[Dude_with_the_tube]

dont worry too much about the weather.During the summer you will not get much to observe anyways.Enjoy this time with your family,get some new gear if required,and get ready for autumn.A lot of people hand they scopes up from june till end of august as nights up north dont really get dark until then.If solar observation is something you do,then summer is for that as soon as you can dodge the clouds  

I agree weather hasnt been the best recently,but there is no reason of giving up.Our time will come eventually.

Patience.

[Kropster]

We're all doomed!

[asset189]

Swings and roundabouts to be honest Floater,the first 6 months of the year have been poor but last year from Aug to december was good, spent night after clear dark night seeking ISON and other comets. The skies will improve then other nights just when youve driven a few miles into the countryside, set up looking forward to a good nigths viewing it will cloud over! Its part of the hobby but just now and then you get a night that is simply awsome. I like the backend of the year as it turn to autum and its still quite warm at night, you can sit out fro hours . stick with it

[Floater]

Oh I'll stick with it, asset. No doubt about that. Have always been aware of the swings and roundabouts - and how the grass always seems greener (read skies always seem clearer) on the other side, etc. Just finding it very frustrating.

Some weeks back we had lovely clear, blue skies during the day but it seemed always to cloud over in the evening - see post #12. What with that and the nights hardly getting dark at all, I decided I'd look on the bright side and do some solar observing to tide me over the next couple of months, or so.

Result? Cloudy both day AND night ever since I got the solar kit! Sheesh ...

Never mind, per ardua ad astra.

[pojara]

is anybody using http://www.wunderground.com/? I find it good, quite precise. there are also statistics for a few years back (2y)

[asset189]

Never mind, per ardua ad astra.

never understood this galic stuff you northerners got up to , ha ha

[Floater]

Yer a rascal!