FINALLY!! First Cloudless Night in MONTHS!

[wesdon1]

Hi all. So finally tonight ( barring the weather changing drastically from the forecast? ) I/we here in NW England are getting a cloudless night. I was last outside imaging in January! Absolutely cannot wait! My only fears are 1-The forecast is wrong or 2- I have one of those hellish nights where everything seems to go wrong and I end up with crap data or none at all! lol.

Edited April 17 by wesdon1
missed a bit

[Vroobel]

It rather looks like the clouds are going to omit us this time. 🙂

https://www.sat24.com/en-gb/country/gb

[Elp]

It's quite gusty still, but I'm hoping.

[wesdon1]

15 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

It rather looks like the clouds are going to omit us this time. 🙂

https://www.sat24.com/en-gb/country/gb

@Vroobel LOL thats the exact same satelite website I use too mate. It's amazing, especially since it's also free! 

[wesdon1]

6 minutes ago, Elp said:

It's quite gusty still, but I'm hoping.

@Elp Yes mate, hopefully we'll all still get some good data. I image surrounded by trees n tall building so I'm hope that might mitigate the wind somewhat...🤞

[wesdon1]

@Vroobel I just noticed you're in Liverpool same as myself mate! 👌

[Vroobel]

2 minutes ago, wesdon1 said:

@Vroobel LOL thats the exact same satelite website I use too mate. It's amazing, especially since it's also free! 

Yes, I agree. None of the weather forecast is trustworthy recently, but a few of them combined together give a quite reliable information if we should be ready or not at all. 

[wesdon1]

Just now, Vroobel said:

Yes, I agree. None of the weather forecast is trustworthy recently, but a few of them combined together give a quite reliable information if we should be ready or not at all. 

@Vroobel LOL mate I can't remember the last time I saw a weather forecast that reliable! GRRR haha

[Elp]

Oh yeah, and typical moon is shining jubilantly at 70 odd pc.

[wesdon1]

1 minute ago, Elp said:

Oh yeah, and typical moon is shining jubilantly at 70 odd pc.

@Elp and as luck would have it it's mostly broadband galaxy season! Damn Moon! lol

[Elp]

Just now, wesdon1 said:

@Elp and as luck would have it it's mostly broadband galaxy season! Damn Moon! lol

I'm actually going to try and attempt a faint magnitude to see how it turns out, last time the moon wasn't up and it was faint so I'm not waiting with baited breath. It's needs to be done though so I can plan the next session accordingly.

[Vroobel]

I remember. It was before summer/autumn of last year. The meteoblue was enough to plan the session 2-3 days before with much more than 50% chance that it's doable. 

Presently, a Wether Channel provides me information if I can expect rain or rather clearer sky (which doesn't mean fully clear) a few days earlier. The meteoblue still shows probable sky conditions within the current day. The sat24 shows where the clouds travel while I observe all Europe area for a wider context. 

Unfortunately, the Clear Outside is the least reliable and it happened just after the time I mentioned above. It shows wrong information even in a real time. 

[wesdon1]

1 minute ago, Elp said:

I'm actually going to try and attempt a faint magnitude to see how it turns out, last time the moon wasn't up and it was faint so I'm not waiting with baited breath. It's needs to be done though so I can plan the next session accordingly.

@Elp I wish you the best of luck mate. I'm going for M101 myself.

[Giles_B]

Yes, so nice to have these clear nights - it will be the 3rd in a row I'm out. And more clear sky on Friday and Saturday, although I won't be able to do much galaxy imaging with the full moon...

[wesdon1]

3 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

I remember. It was before summer/autumn of last year. The meteoblue was enough to plan the session 2-3 days before with much more than 50% chance that it's doable. 

Presently, a Wether Channel provides me information if I can expect rain or rather clearer sky (which doesn't mean fully clear) a few days earlier. The meteoblue still shows probable sky conditions within the current day. The sat24 shows where the clouds travel while I observe all Europe area for a wider context. 

Unfortunately, the Clear Outside is the least reliable and it happened just after the time I mentioned above. It shows wrong information even in a real time. 

@Vroobel I've never even seen meteoblue, I'll have to look that up. 

Yes I agree the weather channels can give you a general idea what might happen with your local weather, but as you mentioned yourself we have to take a broad range of sources local and in the broader area of UK and western EU. 

I actually like the clear outside app but I agree it can be awfully inaccurate unfortunately...

[wesdon1]

right i'm off now fellas, hopefully we'll all have great reports to share in the coming days! 

Clear Skies!

[Vroobel]

1 minute ago, wesdon1 said:

@Vroobel I've never even seen meteoblue, I'll have to look that up. 

Yes I agree the weather channels can give you a general idea what might happen with your local weather, but as you mentioned yourself we have to take a broad range of sources local and in the broader area of UK and western EU. 

I actually like the clear outside app but I agree it can be awfully inaccurate unfortunately...

So use this exact link for our area:

https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/outdoorsports/seeing/liverpool_united-kingdom_2644210#

[Vroobel]

BTW... 

 

 

😂

[Elp]

Well I knew it won't be clear until dark but it's just plonked it down, hailed and caused a rainbow in the space of 20 mins... Oh and I think it's still too windy to attempt an imaging run.

Edited April 17 by Elp

[WolfieGlos]

We were predicted clear skies for the last two nights. Monday was accompanied by 25-30mph winds so didn’t even try. Just opening the door was enough to stop me! 

Last night I was imaging in broadband from 9:30 (before darkness!) until nearly 3am when it clouded over. Got to take anything you can get this year it seems. Clear skies (allegedly) for the rest of the week and we’ve gone away 🙄

1 hour ago, Elp said:

Well I knew it won't be clear until dark but it's just plonked it down, hailed and caused a rainbow in the space of 20 mins

We had exactly the same last night about an hour before I set up (minus the rainbow). None of the forecasts I look at showed a chance of rain above 0%. 

[Elp]

The past three days on the trot it's been raining and stopping at least eight times during the day. Haven't seen April showers like this before.

[LaurenceT]

It's been cloudy all evening over Camberley and as I've got a rotten cough (thanks Granddaughter) I thought I'd turn in just before 10. I made the big mistake of popping outside and lo and behold...stars!

Set the Seestar up in 5 minutes and been happily on the Iris Nebula since, funny how a bit of astro stimulation makes you feel better!

[wesdon1]

16 hours ago, Giles_B said:

Yes, so nice to have these clear nights - it will be the 3rd in a row I'm out. And more clear sky on Friday and Saturday, although I won't be able to do much galaxy imaging with the full moon...

@Giles_B My goodness you've been spoiled my friend! I've only had 3 nights this year! lol

I was actually imaging M101 last night with the Moon roughly 40 degrees apart from my target. I have looked at my data yet, although the subs coming through looked sorta ok. I'll have to wait n see later! ( I know, it's probably silly shooting so relatively near to the Moon but I'm hopeful! )

Edited April 18 by wesdon1
I forgot to include a bit