What's your favourite observing time?

[emadmoussa]

I personally found observing the night sky, especially DSOs, a test to one's nerves if it happens before 10 pm.  I've learned that when I can, I should only observe after 11pm. It's quieter and chances are the neighbours' lights are less likely to ruin your night vision. Needless to say, when everybody's asleep, you'll avoid the awkward moment when your uncomprehending neighbour spots you with all your 'strange' kit. Yep, sometimes astronomy brings out the weirdo in you. 

The other day I invited my next-door neighbour to have a look at the stars. He was so impressed that, moments later, I ended up with his entire family taking turns to look through the scope. I had to bring out the refractor as well.  It's amazing watching people's reaction when they first see the Orion Nebula or Andromeda. Should weather permit, I plan on inviting them again and perhaps the neighbours on the other side to look at the moon. Public relations in order to suppress any future plans for security lights. 

[Sunshine]

Good question, i really don't have a preference as to time of night, i can say that there's that dreaded dew point that seems to be a pain around 12-1am.

[xtreemchaos]

anytime when theres a lack of cloud, solar and daylite moons in the day and everything else when it dark, its really quiet here and the nextdoors are very good with there lights. charl. 

[Les Ewan]

Quote

 

I don't mind really but I find the crispest clearest skies often occur in the early mornings. If observing starts say in the last couple of hours before dawn you have the added interest of seeing the constellations out of season.For example I've witnessed seeing Antares with frozen icy snow on the ground and the entire figure of Orion above the horizon in August.

[chiltonstar]

23:00 to 24:00 is my preferred time as it doesn't interfere with sleep too much. Sometimes 06:00, but it is a struggle.....

Chris

[cletrac1922]

So rewarding sharing

I live on an ungated corporate community, and we have a community centre with swimming pool, gym, tennis courts, and function rooms

Couple times a year arrange a community night, and set up Dob and ED80 on the tennis courts

Recently did a local primary school, with club belong to for grade 1 students

After students been through, then put through parents and carers

After the evening was over, had a lady come up to me

She said she is 83yo, and the first time has ever seen the rings of Saturn through a scope

She then went on to say, her grand daughter, is in grade 1, and to give her grand daughter that opportunity, she never had, will live with her forever

Words in response failed me

John

 

[TheMan]

My preferred time is when there aren't any clouds.

[SacRiker]

1 hour ago, cletrac1922 said:

She said she is 83yo, and the first time has ever seen the rings of Saturn through a scope

She then went on to say, her grand daughter, is in grade 1, and to give her grand daughter that opportunity, she never had, will live with her forever

Words in response failed me

That's really cool that you got to deliver that experience. First time seeing Jupiter and Saturn are amazing moments. 

[SIDO]

I have two favourite times to observe, the first is the last time out and the second is my next time out...of course if the last time out was a bust then the next time out becomes the first and so on ?

[emadmoussa]

9 hours ago, TheMan said:

My preferred time is when there aren't any clouds.

I'd like to try that sometime. 

[LukeSkywatcher]

7:30-8:00pm.....because that's when Eastenders is on TV. 

[Nyctimene]

14 hours ago, Les Ewan said:

I find the crispest clearest skies often occur in the early mornings. If observing starts say in the last couple of hours before dawn you have the added interest of seeing the constellations out of season.For example I've witnessed seeing Antares with frozen icy snow on the ground and the entire figure of Orion above the horizon in August.

Reasons for my observing hours - mostly between  01.30 and 04.00 am. In the evenings, I'm often too tired to get out (enhanced by some glass of wine); and during the last years, I often awake spontaneously three or four hours later. At that time, all the street lights in our little village are turned off, the security lights are less active; and, with a key switch, I can eliminate the terrace lighting of the nearby hotel.

Btw. - spontaneous awaking after midnight, and staying active for some hours, alone or in community, before returning to bed, seems to have been a common sleep pattern in previous times. A fascinating read about this is:"At Day's Close - Night in times past" by A. Roger Ekirch; a short review here:

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/24/books/review/at-days-close-the-dark-ages.html

Something to ponder for us stargazers....

Stephan

 

[LukeSkywatcher]

Btw. - spontaneous awaking after midnight, and staying active for some hours, alone or in community, before returning to bed, seems to have been a common sleep pattern in previous times.

For some strange reason I have been waking at 1am for the last 2 weeks. I get up and Potter around, go online etc. I go back to bed at 5am and sleep til 8am.

[Alfian]

Like others have said, for me its a case of seizing the opportunities when presented. I often tend to be out pre-dawn with the dogs and skies (if clear) are more settled with very good seeing. Naked eye views can be beautiful but with no chance of getting a scope out the binos come into their own.