What time ??

[Moonlightbaker]

As a new comer to astronomy, I do wonder if I’ve picked the wrong hobby . 🤣 I’m a baker I go to work at 3am ( which often has lovely clear skies) I obviously go to bed around 10pm ( doesn’t leave me a lot of time , if any in the summer ) often 6-10pm seems cloudy . So my question is what time do you all go out observing and how long for . I do live in a Bortle 5 /6 so I only have to get outside. 

[Stu]

Go to bed at 8 and have a couple of hours before you leave at 3am? Early hours are often better as the land and buildings have cooled so the air is likely to be stiller.

[PeterStudz]

For deep sky objects the night sky isn’t dark enough for most targets during the summer months. So most observations are outside of summer anyway. 

Personally  and in my location (I’m in an urban environment) the sky is darkest between 1 and 3am. So you can always do what @Stu suggests.

However, I also do white light solar which is obviously daytime and even some planetary (eg Venus) during daylight hours too. It doesn’t need to be all nighttime stuff!

 

 

[Moonlightbaker]

That’s not a bad shout . Obviously I have weekends . Fortunately I live in a market town and I’m at the edge so it gets dark here pretty quick . I hadn’t really noticed how rare clear skies are untill I got my scope 🤣

[Ratlet]

I feel your pain (a bit).  I work rotation, 12 hour shifts 0600 to 1800 or 1800 to 0600 with a 1 hour commute each way, so I have to be up about 0400. On the plus side I get 2 weeks off completely between shifts.

I'll often get up early (around 0200) for a quick session, but that relies on me getting to be early that night and the next night to recover. 

My observing style when I'm on shift is basically an astronomical scavenger.  And clear and hopefully dark skies are worth a punt even if I only get one object in.

Finding a good pace is key imo.  Sometimes I get up and check and just go back to bed.  Viewing through sucker holes at 0200 is not fun.  If you are getting up early have a peep and make sure it's worth it.

Don't get greedy though.  Burn the candle at both ends too long and you'll burn out.

[Moonlightbaker]

Next week I’ll have a go at starting a hour later and getting up at 2 am one morning .  my plan so far has a banking on Saturday nights and the wife falling asleep by 11 . Then me going outside with a redbull 🤣 

[Sunshine]

11 minutes ago, Moonlightbaker said:

Next week I’ll have a go at starting a hour later and getting up at 2 am one morning .  my plan so far has a banking on Saturday nights and the wife falling asleep by 11 . Then me going outside with a redbull 🤣 

This is a tough spot to be in, i have to say. But Redbull observing sounds like a thing, maybe you should look into getting Redbull sponsorship for your sessions! start a new redbull astronomy event on TV? 😂

Edited March 5 by Sunshine

[Moonlightbaker]

11 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

This is a tough spot to be in, i have to say. But Redbull observing sounds like a thing, maybe you should look into getting Redbull sponsorship for your sessions! start a new redbull astronomy event on TV? 😂

You might be on to something! I’ll let the 3 sides battle it out I think , relentless nights and monster astronomy both sound good 🤣 

[Moonlightbaker]

So seems in short most of you go out after midnight 👍🏼

[Sunshine]

13 minutes ago, Moonlightbaker said:

You might be on to something! I’ll let the 3 sides battle it out I think , relentless nights and monster astronomy both sound good 🤣 

I imagine a group of overly excited and wired amateurs chugging Red bulls and high fiving when they spot that elusive galaxy, would make for a fun tv event lol. As for your wife falling asleep by eleven, if you include a couple of stiff drinks after dinner you may get out by nine.

Edited March 5 by Sunshine

[Steve Ward]

Just buy yourself a solar filter and enjoy the most dynamic object in the sky , all those faint fuzzy things look the same year in year out ... 🌞

[Paz]

I don't observe late in the night, and I observe all year round. The sun, moon, and planets are all good daytime targets.

Then there are many double stars, showcase DSOs, asteroids, etc doable without needing dark skies or late nights.

[Naughty Neal]

I'm the opposite , my shift is early /mid evening till 03.30 hrs , when I get home if the sky's are clear I will make an effort for an hour to hour and a half. 

[Orange Smartie]

I don't have to be up particularly early, but I don't like late nights any more. I tend to do short sessions of around 1 to 1.5 hours in the evening. Obviously this gets trickier as the days get longer, but it's fine at the moment, and I can be packed up well before midnight. Generally speaking, I try to make the most of my observing sessions by planning ahead of time what I'd like to look at; for example, I may focus in on one constellation and cover all the points of interest in that, or if there's no moon, I might prioritise galaxy-hunting. As a purely visual astronomer, I don't find I need huge chunks of time to get a fun experience out of it.