Is it just me, or have the past few years been rather poor for observing?

[jonathan]

I've had some things to contend with over the past few years (work, depression, personal carp) so it's very possible I haven't actually been paying that much attention to the night skies, but I seem to recall times about five or six years ago were much better in general for getting out with scopes, night or day (for solar observing).

Is it just possible that the solar minimum has brought much more unsettled (i.e. wet / changeable) weather patterns to the UK and probably many other places in the world, resulting in fewer ideal observing days per season?  I have been trying to think recently why I haven't been out much over the past few years, is it just that I didn't have any enthusiasm for it or was it really poor observing conditions? 

I remember back a few years ago, maybe 2012 or so, having a great time observing the Great Red Spot on Jupiter, but this year Jupiter seems to be hiding away so trying to get a glimpse of the GRS is nigh impossible unless one wants to go out at around 4am (not my cup of tea, I'm an evening astronomer).  So many wet weeks too, November this year has been almost constant rain here, though (fingers crossed) now that December is almost upon us we finally have a few clear days forecase.

Solar observing has taken a nose-dive in recent years too, there's just nothing to see most days.  When I first started I think it was during the last solar maximum, every day had interesting sunspots, filaments and prominances, it really was worth getting the solar scope out for a few hours on a warm sunny day. 

Roll on the next solar maximum, bring back the stable weather and long observing sessions that gave me that 'Wow!' factor I enjoyed so much!

EDIT: I should add that I haven't been totally idle while not doing much in terms of observing, I've been tinkering and perfecting my setup, adding bits and pieces, figuring out things, and trying to work out sensible observing session plans (making plans to do things can be quite theraputic!)  I flocked my 6" Skywatcher Reflector and made sure I attended as many events and meetings as I could from my local astronomy society.

Edited November 30, 2019 by jonathan

[jonathan]

Oh, one body blow was the discovery just the other day that my SkyScout is officially defunct as of December 31st 2015, since I've hardly been out in recent years I never noticed!  The GPS works but the unit itself refuses to set any date beyond 2015 (even manually, due to some very poor programming in the firmware), the GPS gets confused since the rollover and sets the date to April 13th 2002 or something like that.  The unit should still work for deep sky objects if I can work out the best date to set it to (in order to fool it into giving the correct positions) but solar system objects are right out.

I still like the audio tour and text descriptions it gives so I'll be keeping hold of it for sure.

[Alan White]

Jonathan,

Yes it does seem to have been worse weather over the last few years, but still observable.

I have managed a good number of observing sessions even though I have had serious light incursion
and notable ill health to deal with and it too has given me less Astro Mojo.
As you say Solar Minimum does not help as nothing much in daylight either.

In reality, I think we will have Astro ups and downs and its a case of go with the flow.

Wish you well with getting out, as starlight is rather therapeutic.

 

[Paz]

I feel like the last year has been very cloudy but I've only been observing more seriously for 3or 4 years and it's always been mostly cloudy.

I've read a number of comments about how it was much better weather in the past but as I personally have never experienced anything better I tend to just accept that going a month or even more between opportunities is how it is. 

[Marvin Jenkins]

I have been observing since November 2017, so new to all this madness. I thought at first that due to taking up the obsession I have become super sensitive to the weather, but even I am not this paranoid.

Started November 2017. Occasional nights till February 10th 2018. I missed two unexpected nights with bad seeing, cleared June 23rd 2018!!!! That’s Feb through till the end of June.

Right now my last clear night was October 9th with the exception of two nights bang on the full moon and a partial clear night for the Monocerotid meteor shower that never was. It’s now November 30th and I ordered a new OTA so that’s it till next year.

Astronomers keep diaries. Surely there are the old school crowd that can look back through note books and say “you know what, it’s not any different to 1974” or “This is definitely new”

Marv