Horizon Cloud Conspiracy

[mrdiki]

So I'm here in the UK and up at my local park just before 0400 in the morning to take a look at both Venus and hopefully Venus rising.

There is a good unobstructed view of the horizon in the location that I have chosen. The problem has been that whilst directly overhead it's clear skies the eastern horizon has always had a low bank of cloud with the result that I get to see zero.

Is this some kind of atmospheric phenomenon to frustrate astronomers? 

[mrdiki]

Sorry should read Mercury...

[ronin]

"Cloud" and "UK" in the same sentence?

Don't think we get cloud here in the UK, always clear, stable, transparent skies and utterly cloudless - even when it rains they are cloudless.

A frustrated astronomer complaining of cloud is unheard of.

Wonder if you mean Birmingham Alabama not Birmingham UK, Alabama has been known to have the occasional cloud.

[Davey-T]

Just managed to image Mercury yesterday morning on the murky horizon but it was only visible for a couple of minutes and very hard to spot.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/221403-moon-venus-and-mercury-this-morning/#entry2381066

Dave

[IanL]

Well if you think about it, looking straight up you have far less atmosphere to go through than you do looking near the horizon, so:

a ) Statistically there has to be a greater chance of cloud obscuring the view nearer the horizon simply because of the increased volume of air for it to form in and block your view.

b ) The effect of any cloud will also be greater - e.g. you can see reasonably well through a high thin layer of cloud straight up, but towards the horizon the greater volume of cloud  the light has to pass through will make it less transparent.

So all other things being equal, it's a real effect and not you just imagining it.

[Floater]

Northeast Scotland and east horizon = haar. And then there can be cloud before the haar rolls in.

Recently, we have had the most wonderful sunny days. But we live in fear of haar. Always in fear. Unless, of course (pun there), you are on the Donald (Trump) part of the northeast where, he assures us, the haar is not an issue.

Seriously though, I'm sorry you were trumped by the elements. But aren't we stargazers ever hopeful and optimistic that there will be a next time? There will be.

[mrdiki]

Many thanks guys, especially Ian L. Fingers crossed for tomorrow morning. (In the two years or so that I have been observing I haven't seen Mercury once! ) :-(