Last Saturday (or maybe Sunday, Can't remember)

[Ant]

Hi Guy's,

I've been quite ill over the bank holiday weekend, so much so that I passed up on what I would consider to be the best night this year - and maybe even the best night I've ever seen from home.

It all started at around 10pm, I looked out of the window and saw that there was a large number of stars looking back at me through the glass, I was in a lit room with light on and TV on. I cupped my hands around my eye's and peered out - after being blinded by next door driving into their drive way (as they come up the curb the headlights shine directly into our front room) I realised that I could actually see M31 through a closed window and without any dark adaption.

Well I was feeling pretty awful and just couldn't summon up the strength to get the scope set up, even though I knew that once set up I could just hook up the camera and return to the settee... Oh how I wish for a permanent setup!!! I did however manage to wander out into the garden just to stand there and enjoy the view.

I have to say that it WAS the best night Iver seen, straight away I could see the milky way - not just the part running through Cygnus but the whole of it up into Cass. and down through Perseus. Honestly I was gob smacked by this.

I stood there for a few minutes and just wished I could get the scope out, the strange thing is that although all this detail was easily visible to me the sky did seem bright! Not sure why this should be the case.

Is that a what people mean by transparent? or steady I don't know.

Rog, did you go out either Saturday or Sunday? I actually think it was Saturday, but I'm not 100%. Did you think it was particularly good?

I'd also be interested to hear if others went out either of those nights and thought it was above average.

Regards

Ant

[AndyMac]

Like you Ant I didn't have a very good Bank Holiday. So I was not out with the scope either. The only thing I did was watch the X-Factor, laid up in bed.

How sad is that?!

[Ant]

Strange Andy, I did the same Watched X factor then went to bed. So it must have been Sunday night that was good!

You OK now Andy?

Ant

[AndyMac]

Well I was back at work but left at 3.30pm as I felt like s**t! However very much better than on Saturday. Thanks for asking.

Don't think I'll be making use of tonight's clear night, either as I seriously need to catch up on some kip.

[Astroman]

Ant: You could call it transparent. Steadiness can really only be gauged through a telescope. I've seen nights where there was no twinkle in the stars at all with the naked eye, but through the scope, it was awful and vice versa.

[Ant]

Hi Astroman, The strange thing was that there was so much detail visible that isn't normally there... but the sky didn't seem all that dark... it was a strange night.

Glad your better now Andy. Shame you had to go back to work really.

Ant

[FLO]

I've seen nights where there was no twinkle in the stars at all with the naked eye, but through the scope, it was awful and vice versa.

Hi all,

With regards to assessing a good clear sky, what do you look for in the way of indicators? 

Personally, while walking home from work, I look for a deep blue sky with clearly defined aircraft con' trails. 

Steve 

[AndyMac]

Seeing measures the steadiness of the atmosphere. Where the seeing is good (a bonus in particular for viewing planets) the sky may also be hazy making it not very suitable for deep sky work.

The transparency measures just that. On those nights where the stars twinkle violently against an inky dark sky, the transparency is good, the seeing not so. A night for deep sky observing rather than the planets.

[Rob]

How strange is this.. I'm just getting back on my after the whole family have gone through a nasty stomache bug. Not really feeling that good now to be honest, so I did not make it out either.

[Ant]

Recovered from your scare yet Rob?

[CELESCOPE]

Yes well i was in suffolk saturday Ant, and it was ok till about 11 thats when i took M20 but returned on sunday , and yes you were right the sky at basildon was excellent, i did do the bubble that night m but wasted most of the time fiddling about like ya do , and i think i missed the best sky as well ,well at least most of it ,

anyway hope you are feeling better now Ant ,

Rog

[Astroman]

On those nights where the stars twinkle violently against an inky dark sky, the transparency is good, the seeing not so. A night for deep sky observing rather than the planets.

That's not necessarily so, Andy, that was my point. Sometimes, when the stars twinkle alot, it's because of low level turbulence in the air. This has less effect on the seeing higher up and sometimes the seeing is actually great. If turbulence is higher up, it can really screw an otherwise great night, regardless of transparency.

I gauge the seeing by something quantifiable-like being able to split arcsecond binary stars. The closer the pair I split, the better the seeing. The good thing is, there are doubles all over the sky, so it's not hard to find one. Or, two, as it were.

[AndyMac]

Happy to stand corrected. :)