full moon = no clouds!

[chunkie]

lookin good for the ND FILTERS TONIGHT I THINK

[sgazer]

thought I'd resurrect this thread as the equation still seems to hold on the other side of the world!

Yes, here in Melbourne, it was a pretty poor summer with a lot of rain and temperatures only hitting 40C a couple of times. Now it's winter, it's still been pretty cloudy and it's even touched zero a couple of times at night and it's barely reaching 15C during the day. I know, it's tough.

But what I was getting to is that the clear nights have been few and far between, like 2-3 per month. However, what I have noticed is that for the past 9 months, at EVERY full moon, the sky has been clear. Not the night before, or the night after, but only on the night of the full moon. (The other occasional clear nights have been on the very rare occassion that I've been out somewhere). I still can't find any scientific evidence linking the full moon to clear nights, but it just seems to much to be a coincidence. Almost all my imaging has been done with a Ha filter under the full moon. I check outside most nights, when it's clear, I look up and it's like a flood light over the garden with the full moon up there. Is there really no connection?!!!

[BellatrixC4]

I like looking at the full moon through my scope, I really do, it just plain sucks though, that because it's so bright, it's probably gonna be the only observing I'll be doing. (along with some visible stars in there)

Whenever I try looking for other objects, that are pretty dim, on a full moon it just kinda spoils it for me... Too bright that thing ^^''

When the new moon arrives, I am happy Unless.... clouds are there to spoil it!! So at the end of this cycle (soon) I am sooo looking forward to it!

But I'll agree.... Clouds whenever it would be suitable to find stuff. Clouds hate the moon >.< But love a clear sky. dammit

[geoff_k]

I know it's not very scientific but it certainly seems like the only clear nights are around a full moon.

Mind you, the last winter here was so cloudy I didn't see much of anything, full or otherwise.

Geoff