Fed up

[alhiggs]

getting hacked off with weather 2 weeks straight cloud every night any ideas what could do to keep interest because slowly loading interest did to weather

[RayD]

.. Post removed.  Didn't realise OP only wanted advice on visual.

[xtreemchaos]

being fed up of the weather is the mark of a good skywatcher, its something that ive got very good at over the years, I find watching old EPs of the sky at night a good treatment. cheer up the clouds wont last forever. charl.

[MarsG76]

I hear ya.. I'm hoping for a major dry spell... drought = cloudless skies....

 

[westmarch]

There is a long and proud history of British astronomy discoveries - all made despite rather than due to our weather - you are in good company.  Why not consider enrolling in a free online course?  The OU course on Moons starts next week.

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/moons

John

[Astro_king]

It is indeed frustrating.

 

I was in Turkey on holiday last month and EVERY night was a clear night!

 

I wonder how people with good kit under that sort of sky condition feel...

[alhiggs]

26 minutes ago, RayD said:

I try to gather as much data as I possibly can when the skies are clear, and generally don't do any tinkering in this time.  When the clouds are here I will do things like running off new series' of dark and bias libraries just so these are always as good as can be (including for my guide camera).  When it looks like the cloud is going to be extended I pick a project to process and dedicate the time to that, so as to not be distracted by watching my current imaging session.

As noted, I don't do tinkering when clear, so use the cloudy time to do any mods or adjustments by using simulators etc.  This was handy when I wanted to find a permanent home for my hub, so had to remove the OTA, fit a longer losmandy plate etc.

I know it is frustrating but, as has been mentioned before, it's about trying to be positive and utilise the time to your benefit rather than ruing the time missed.

it's okbif you have money for all exspensive astro gear to do astrophotgraphy 

[RayD]

36 minutes ago, alhiggs said:

it's okbif you have money for all exspensive astro gear to do astrophotgraphy 

Fair enough.

[geordie85]

41 minutes ago, alhiggs said:

it's okbif you have money for all exspensive astro gear to do astrophotgraphy 

Even then it can be incredibly frustrating. The last 2 nights have been forecast to be clear all night on met office and on clear outside. So I set up and left my scope and camera cooling. When I've gone back out to start an imaging run, it's been wall to wall cloud.

Tonight is also forecast to be clear, let's see what happens.

[Chefgage]

I seem to be getting more and more sunny days but cloudy nights. I am thinking of starting solar observing. That way in theory i should get more time at the eyepiece,  be it day time or night time viewing.

Might be worth considering. 

[iPeace]

Keep faith. 

On average, I get less than one night per week of observing. Far less, actually. I just make sure I'm ready for it and take it as it comes.

It's worth it.

I do also make sure I have other stuff to do instead of cloudgazing. That helps.

[Astro Imp]

I see the OP lives in Hull/Hessle, I'm not a million miles away and am convinced this part of the country has by far the worst night skies at present. 

I read observing reports from around the country, some not far away in Norfolk/Suffolk and feel really frustrated. 

[ronin]

You need to be able to take advantage of just about anything to turns up. That generally means something small, or an almost semipermanent set up.

I woke early one morning 04:00, got up and looked outside. The sky was very, very clear and good. I spent 40 minutes with eyes and binoculars, by 05:00 it was misting over and for the rest of the morning it was basically cloudy. In effect had I decided to get a scope out then I guess half the time would have been lost.

I would say that if the expectation is to spend half an hour deciding to go or not, and half an hour setting up then the opertunities will be few and far between.

Someone posted for the same day/night here as well and they observed from around 22:00 to 24:00 then clouds formed. So the previous 8 hours had been something like: cloud, clear, cloud, clear, cloud. Nothing consistant.

I would have thought that Lincolnshire had some of the better skies. Thursday last week was a good clear day and night as Inrecall and Lincs is not that far away. Trouble is a lot depends on your situation.

[Astro Imp]

37 minutes ago, ronin said:

I would have thought that Lincolnshire had some of the better skies. Thursday last week was a good clear day and night as Inrecall and Lincs is not that far away. Trouble is a lot depends on your situation.

I haven't had a clear evening sky for at least the last two weeks, we seem to have a very local weather pattern. I wonder if my proximity to The Wash has much influence.

[alhiggs]

the wash is bad I spent my child hood there weather was always crap wonder if humber estuary and was.close has anything to do with it

[cloudsweeper]

Cloudy conditions are indeed a pain.

But they won't make me lose interest.  Just more excited about the next time out!

Doug.

[alhiggs]

36 minutes ago, cloudsweeper said:

Cloudy conditions are indeed a pain.

But they won't make me lose interest.  Just more excited about the next time out!

Doug.

your right never let the weather defeat me yet I guess I'm just impatience lol

[BRUN]

im struggling too, ive bought a new scope and only used it twice ! and im going on holiday with it soon too

tbh if this weather doesnt improve in the next few weeks, into my holiday and afterwards, im selling up

[Cosmic Geoff]

21 minutes ago, BRUN said:

im struggling too, ive bought a new scope and only used it twice ! and im going on holiday with it soon too

tbh if this weather doesnt improve in the next few weeks, into my holiday and afterwards, im selling up

Don't be hasty, in the UK you can get weeks of cloud and then 4 clear nights in succession.

[BRUN]

yea im not doing anything for some weeks to come yet, but im very limited as it is and the weather has just made it impossible

[alhiggs]

1 hour ago, BRUN said:

yea im not doing anything for some weeks to come yet, but im very limited as it is and the weather has just made it impossible

yeah spend shed load of.money and can't use anything for weeks or months cause of weather is ok if you live in chile

[BRUN]

exactly this, ive a lot of money tied up in this gear but rarely get to use it, im buying starsense though in the morning lol

[alhiggs]

On 16/10/2017 at 16:32, BRUN said:

exactly this, ive a lot of money tied up in this gear but rarely get to use it, im buying starsense though in the morning lol

That's an invesment and a half  lol well im the same spent shed.load to no avail rubbish weather all time slowly loseing interest

[alhiggs]

10 hours ago, RayD said:

Fair enough.

wasnt been rude bud I just ment I don't have the money to do astrophotgraphy with proper equipment plus weather is crap at no my apologies if I came across nasty or rude wasn't ment to

[BRUN]

On 16/10/2017 at 16:36, alhiggs said:

That's an invesment and a half  lol well im the same spent shed.load to no avail rubbish weather all time slowly loseing interest

im just lazy lol