Observing in the heat? Bad for scope?

[SacRiker]

I live in northern California where it can get VERY hot during the summer.  Temps can reach 105 F (40 C).  During the evening it cools down quite a bit, but can still be hot...is it bad for the scope to haul it outside in high temps? 

Considering Nexstar 8SE for this scenario. 

[glowjet]

Is there no advice from the scope Manufactures on the matter ?, as scopes get used in very hot countries. I would not have thought latish night time temperatures, even after a very hot day, would have any effect on the scopes performance, but warm air currents from the ground might affect the seeing. It does sound rather odd though, with the old adage, "take your scope outside and let it to cool down" which in your case, could be wait for it to warm up   

[Qualia]

Where I live in Spain, between May and the end of September there is an average day time temperature of about 45ºC dropping to an average 25ºC at night. These are just averages and there are many weeks in the summer where the temperature is higher. I regularly use fracs in the daytime for solar viewing and fracs and a newt at night and have never witnessed a problem. In fact it's quite the opposite, there's something very civilised about being outdoors at 4am in shorts and a t-shirt, sipping at iced-lemonade and oggling the wonders across the Milky Way

[SacRiker]

Where I live in Spain, between May and the end of September there is an average day time temperature of about 45ºC dropping to an average 25ºC at night. These are just averages and there are many weeks in the summer where the temperature is higher. I regularly use fracs in the daytime for solar viewing and fracs and a newt at night and have never witnessed a problem. In fact it's quite the opposite, there's something very civilised about being outdoors at 4am in shorts and a t-shirt, sipping at iced-lemonade and oggling the wonders across the Milky Way

Brilliant!

[Peter Drew]

Very similar in Tenerife. The heat is more likely to be bad for the observer. 

[ghostdance]

Iced "lemonade" eh?

A likely story....

[trazor]

There's something very civilised about being outdoors at 4am in shorts and a t-shirt, sipping at iced-lemonade and oggling the wonders across the Milky Way

I don't envy you at all............         

[Pompey Monkey]

Where I live in Spain, between May and the end of September there is an average day time temperature of about 45ºC dropping to an average 25ºC at night. These are just averages and there are many weeks in the summer where the temperature is higher. I regularly use fracs in the daytime for solar viewing and fracs and a newt at night and have never witnessed a problem. In fact it's quite the opposite, there's something very civilised about being outdoors at 4am in shorts and a t-shirt, sipping at iced-lemonade and oggling the wonders across the Milky Way

Open house at Qualia's! hehe.

[Digger1895]

I'm in Brisbane where it's not just very hot but also very humid and I can say there's no ill effects to my scopes I've noticed or heard about from other people.

[Lowjiber]

I live in the desert in southern Nevada, where the daytime temps get well over those in northern California.  I leave my AR152  and 10" Dob outside 24/7/365.

I cover them in the daytime (we have some serious sunlight) with Telegizmo reflective covers.  Of course, I run a fan in the Dob for a session, but one has to do than just about anywhere... regardless.

I've never had an issue.

When I travel to Death Valley (Furnace Creek area) for two-day star parties, the daytime temps get in the low 120's (F).  There, the Telegizmo covers continue to work very well when not observing.

Clear Skies

[Dave In Vermont]

The only major caveat I can think of is only for owners of SCT's. The primary mirror on these, to focus , rides on a sort of 'sled.' Focus is achieved by the mirror being physically moved fore and back. And to facilitate this, the sled comes with a good amount of grease on it.

So in hot locations, don't park an SCT with the nose of the scope pointed downwards. The grease can over-heat and drip out - right down onto the inside of the corrector-plate! Then your real fun begins.

Clear Skies & A Dripping Sound.....

Dave

[RT65CB-SWL]

The only major caveat I can think of is only for owners of SCT's. The primary mirror on these, to focus , rides on a sort of 'sled.' Focus is achieved by the mirror being physically moved fore and back. And to facilitate this, the sled comes with a good amount of grease on it.

So in hot locations, don't park an SCT with the nose of the scope pointed downwards. The grease can over-heat and drip out - right down onto the inside of the corrector-plate! Then your real fun begins.

Clear Skies & A Dripping Sound.....

Dave

Thanks for the tip/heads up...

[LukeSkywatcher]

I live in Ireland where the average summer temp can get up to a blistering 22C during the day and a very hot 14C during the night. Once in a decade the temp may exceed 25C. If this happens, the whole country shuts down and a state of emergency is issued by the government.

[Wordy]

Where I live in Spain....

there's something very civilised about being outdoors at 4am in shorts and a t-shirt, sipping at iced-lemonade and oggling the wonders across the Milky Way

Ban him!!

[Paul73]

Not getting much sympathy from here either... I still can't feel my feet from last night.

Glad that the hot scopes will be OK though.

Paul