Astrophotography and Windy weather

[smr]

Hi all,

Seems like ages since I have done any imaging. I think the last imaging was right back in the middle of January or so. February was a no go, the weather having been really poor with all the stormy weather we've been having, if isn't rain it's wind, if it's not wind the Moon is out etc.

Last night was nice and clear, but still quite breezy. Tonight the forecast looks promising in terms of a clear night, the problem is the wind is due to be around 10-12mph... so how much wind is too much? Is the only way to negate the effects of wind by imaging with shorter subs or is it best not to shoot with 10mph+ winds?

[david_taurus83]

Depends on how sturdy the mount is and how big the scope is. I used to stick my AZEQ6 out in all sorts of breezes but it only had a short frac on there.

[smr]

1 minute ago, david_taurus83 said:

Depends on how sturdy the mount is and how big the scope is. I used to stick my AZEQ6 out in all sorts of breezes but it only had a short frac on there.

Thanks for the reply. It would 430mm Z73 refractor and HEQ5 Pro Mount.

[Skyline]

I use my 130pds on my pier.

[ollypenrice]

12mph doesn't sound too bad if you can keep out of the worst of it.  The less obvious problem is that it plays havoc with the seeing, so imaging at high resolution won't work out. Low res setups are much less affected.

Olly

[stash_old]

18 minutes ago, smr said:

is it best not to shoot with 10mph+ winds?

Assuming gusts are not to bad a mean speed of 10mph is ok - and anyway how many nights will you get per year waiting for "perfect" conditions. IMO go for it and see what you get - you never know it might not be as bad as you think especially if you can "hide" from the wind. 🙂

[smr]

Ok thanks guys, I'll give it a go, as you say it's definitely not often we get clear skies here ! Hope I'm not too rusty!

[Craney]

Depending how your imaging area is set up ......

 I find that having a few hefty tarpaulins that can be strung up around the  scope  on bungys does help cut out  those  fickle  gusts  that  squeeze their way through any available gaps  in the garden.   With suitable tie -in points you can create a little  haven in a matter of minutes.

Edited March 3, 2020 by Craney