Unexpected bonus: clear skies and a power cut

[JeremyS]

The daytime weather was curious here in Cheshire yesterday, with a rapid drop in temperature.
It was cloudy all evening, but when I went outside to protect the hanging baskets about 11 pm I noticed it was clearing. I went back inside after a few chores to find that the house lights were very dim. I then heard a few burglar alarms up the road going on. Looking up and down the road I realised that the whole village had a power cut, with all the streetlights off and most houses. Surprisingly my house had at least some power, although I immediately switched off all the lights. 

Back outside, I quickly set up the Tak TSA 120 and started observing. The sky was very transparent and of course the background light level was very low. I spent the next couple of hours galaxy hopping in Leo Coma and Virgo, as well as the usual suspects like M51 and M81/2. What a night! Power was re-established at 1.30 am.

Thank you Scottish Power!
 

[andrew s]

It an ill wind...Regards Andrew 

[Star101]

Fantastic

 

[Alan White]

Lucky you Jeremy,

I have to say a power cut on a clear night is a true blessing and something I wish for on a regular basis.
It sounds as if you made the very best of it, lucky you.

If it had happened here it would have been an ill wind indeed, literally,
it was blowing heavily so would have stopped steady observing.

[JeremyS]

39 minutes ago, andrew s said:

It an ill wind...Regards Andrew 

Probably my high fibre diet

🙂

 

[DaveL59]

we had similar not long ago, total power loss and most street lights out too, but a not so good sky at the time. Thankfully with UPS's I was able to watch TV and have computer/internet and light  so was able to pass the time quietly for the couple hours before it started coming back on.

I'd imaging tho a nightmare for imagers to lose power mid-session.

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Probably my high fibre diet

🙂

 

"Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot!" - Bart Simpson.

[mikeDnight]

They should bring back those sudden power cuts I had as a child in the 60s & 70s? I loved them!  

 

[DaveL59]

ahh yes, candles and little campinGaz stoves and a proper fire to stay warm by, I remember them days  

[Alan White]

55 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

They should bring back those sudden power cuts I had as a child in the 60s & 70s? I loved them!  

Ah yes, the nostalgia of youth.
Was this not a Coal related major strike that brought down the government of the day?

PS Mods, this is a historical fact, not a political point (Just so you know as some of you are too young to remember this).

[Guest]

I would say every cloud has a silver lining but it is probably more like every lack of cloud has a clear lining.

Great to be able to take advantage of it Jeremy 😀

[JamesF]

We've just had a power cut, probably related to the strength of the winds we've been having over the last 24 hours.  Horror of horrors however, the interwebs did not come back when the power did.  I think they might have needed to shovel some more coal in at the exchange.

James