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Phew ! That was a difficult year !


cotterless45

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Feel a bit cheated by the weather, noted sessions over an hour ,

2013.....115

2014......114

2015.......87. This did include some glorious observing in the New Forest and Skye.other years have produced holidays of rain and wind !

Just a few tips,

Ignore the weather forecast, just go out and look at the skies. They might be a bit different from the forecasts. Try old weather lore , such as no dew = no rain for 24 hours ( as if !)

Try after midnight, if you can. Most normal folk are asleep and some turn off their lights and heating. The air is quieter and there's always that snap of frost before dawn.

Keep a must see list going, that'll prime you up for the next session and keep you away from the same old targets.

Enjoy !

Nick.

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I sit here and by here I mean at the bar I built in my basement (not drinking), I read these tales of woe and always feel sorry for you all in Britain, truely I do. Having just read down this thread as I always do with Nick's please spare a special thought for Yong, 31 nights, I have had that in a month once though not this year. I am not sure I would bother at all with such a poor record of suitable weather so I take my hat off to him.

I had a terrible October with 23 nights of cloud but since then I have had 40 clear nights and with such a score often do not bother when the Moon is at it's most annoying. Last year (2014) Nick actually beat me to 100 nights though I had had more but was only counting nights I got scopes out and setup.

I hope 2016 is better all round and especially in Gothenburg.

Alan

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If I include solar observations, I had 72 observations since 23rd Feb, when I started taking notes down.

Considering two moving out, change of city and job, plus some work travel, I am very happy about that! :)

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If there is one thing I have learned from last year is, take every opportunity to get your scope out,

I have taken quite a few chances, as you probably do Nick, but it has paid off, I have a large cover

ready in case of showers, which I have used a few times, there is always something to observe, I

just love being out observing.

All the very best for the New Year to all, and let's hope for better weather for this year. 

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Good score, Nick. I used to get about 60-70 night time per year but life's less compatible at the mo. Solar is my main thing now, about 70 sessions in 2015. I could have clocked up over 100 if really trying but that's plenty enough to keep me happy. Hope 2016 is better for everyone!

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Keep a must see list going, that'll prime you up for the next session and keep you away from the same old targets.

Enjoy !

Nick.

That point in particular retains my interest, engaging in the research and structuring an aspirational list of targets and with so much time available currently, continual adding and modifying. Just hope they get printed off.

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I'm starting to think a scope cover is a must, so I can have everything setup and be able to gamble when either rain or clear is a possibility.

In the summer evenings when i was waiting until midnight to start, I was thinking 'won't it be great when I can set up at six o'clock!'...

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I have a spare diary this year, I'll now start to record this years observations, as I have about less than 20 observations for 2015 , at a guess?

The Quadrantids peak tonight, no scope required, my skies are overcast and its cold outside! Doesn't look good.

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The last quarter of 2015 was very poor for both Solar and night observing, definitely an " Astro famine ".

I didn't keep a tally for the previous 9 months but I remember having more than enough observing sessions to keep me content. ( one point to note though is I did get the scope out at every opportunity that came along )

As Nick said though 2015 was notably very poor year compared to the previous 2 :laugh:

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......Ooooops!  seems my Hubble  2016 Space calender is wrong,  purporting  that the Quadrantrids  meteor shower should peak on the  2nd, whereas the internet assumes  the 4th...?

I`ll assume the calender is wrong!

IIRC, the quarantids are tonight (4th) into tomorrow (5th).

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I barely got out at all last year. Very, very dissapointing. I was considering selling a few EPs and going for the ES 9mm 100deg but then thought, why bother? I asked myself recently have I lost the urge to observe? I'm sure it is still there, but it's being severely tested! It just makes me realise how few real opportunities you get, between summer, moonlit nights, cloud cover, work etc. I'm amazed at some folk here with 100ish sessions! Hopefully I'll get out a bit in the next few months.

Barry

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Im done with sitting on my backside (or not being able to sit on it as the case is). January has been 50% clear so far. From now on........if its clear..............i'm venturing out. 

I'm even going to venture out during the day for some solar observing.

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There's been a lot of rain so far this January, but also a few clear skies. I've managed to get out under them, and Thursday promises to be that rare combo of a clear evening and nothing else happening, so I might get out and do some lunar observing.

Here's to many more clear skies for 2016!

Paul

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Well, that makes me feel much better...it's not only me who had an awful Stargazing conditions.  I really wanted to go to a Dark Sky site nearby and have a real good bash but the cloud coverage has been awful where I live (SW, England).

The other night walking the dog I was like, OMG, there isn't any cloud for once.... when I get back I'll get the telescope out...... literally, 3 minutes... and the whole sky had clouded over... yet there was little to no wind..... seriously, someone up there is taking the p... lol.

Let's hope 2016 is better... :-)

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