ICE WARNING!

[cloudsweeper]

I’ve been doing Astro for six years, using nine telescopes (five remaining), which have variously undergone minor modifications and adjustments.

There have many good and excellent sessions, and a few where nothing went right (see below).

For company, there have been bats, owls, hedgehogs, and even a couple of swans (low, overhead).

I’ve been out in summer clothes, and also been heavily insulated.

There have been windy sessions, times when rain suddenly fell, and of course dewing up of everything has occurred frequently.

But last night was the first time my ‘scope got covered in ice!

(And I was using the Dob after much use of fracs, so forgot to up-down invert the Stellarium view and couldn’t find my way round.  Dohhh!)

Doug.

Edited December 31, 2020 by cloudsweeper

[JeremyS]

3 hours ago, cloudsweeper said:

I’ve been doing Astro for six years, using nine telescopes (five remaining), which have variously undergone minor modifications and adjustments.

There have many good and excellent sessions, and a few where nothing went right (see below).

For company, there have been bats, owls, hedgehogs, and even a couple of swans (low, overhead).

I’ve been out in summer clothes, and also been heavily insulated.

There have been windy sessions, times when rain suddenly fell, and of course dewing up of everything has occurred frequently.

But last night was the first time my ‘scope got covered in ice!

(And I was using the Dob after much use of fracs, so forgot to up-down invert the Stellarium view and couldn’t find my way round.  Dohhh!)

Doug.

Was pretty cold in Cheshire too: minus 5 C in the obsy. The dome did look pretty, encased in ice and with the moonlight glinting off 🙂 

They closed one of the main roads near here this AM as there were several accidents. Black ice on my drive too. 

Go carefully!

[Paz]

I have to say I hate the cold (not a good start for an astronomer!). I enjoy summer observing just as much as winter, being happy to trade  less darkness for more civilised temperatures!

[Mr Spock]

My patio has been lethal the last couple of days. Hopefully it's dry enough now and I can get the scope out. It's clear here at the moment.

[Mognet]

Only dropped to -2 here last night, but it was enough to make wet patches of paths slippery and the grass crunchy.

But you know you've had a good night when you come in with frost on your scope and not minded