Looking good for tonight!

[TopHouse]

RIGHT!!! IT'S ALL YOU LOT'S FAULT!!!

9.30 it was crystal clear, moon was rising, no halo, just lovely and clear and clean, I gave it half an hour or so, started to set up, moon was steadily rising, levelled mount, put scope on, took my time, trailed extension outside, got the lappy, plugged in and ready to go, moon still looking great, jupiter rising nicely, did about 10 minutes observing on Jupiter, then autofocuser packed up! It still works but only at full speed, the speed controller stopped working, no worries, can still cope, plugged in a barlow, put the web cam in, launched the software, looked up, where's jupe gone? For that matter where'd the moon go?

That flaming cloud is faster than, well, a fast thing! I stood there dawdling for another hour, not a single sight of jupe or moon! I knew I shouldn't have listened to you!

[Mouse on the Moon]

Unlucky mate.

[LukeSkywatcher]

Too stressed to go out tonight. I just had computer issues which took a couple of hours to sort.

[The Sailor]

Just finished, no AP, moon was too bright so just had 4 hours worh of viewing, clouds have now rolled in so time for bed .

Jim

[Psychobilly]

80-90% clear around sunset 80-90% cloud by 10 pm...

[yeti monster]

If it's any consolation, things are no better here in China atm.

Last night I could see the moon through a sort of gap in the clouds, and 1 (count them...1) star to the North.

The only saving grace of the evening was a high pass by ISS, visible even as it passed behing clouds, and REALLY bright when the clouds were thinest. Today doesn't look any better yet, but I live in hope of getting the scope out again, especially after this last leave where I managed 3 times to get some very short viewing sessions in.

[TheThing]

Didn't get to go out as had crystal clear skies, but a band of cloud over Jupiter and the moon! Murphy's law! The two objects I wanted to image.

Got up about 2am to let the dog out and the sky was covered in thin, high cloud with the moon and Jupiter shinning thru. There was a lovely halo 15 degrees in diameter around the moon though.

[Space Oddity6]

Well I think I can safely rule out any viewing tonight, even the fish in our pond are sheltering in the weed from the downpour!

[eWizard]

Clear skies forecast here in Dunstable tonight... Let's hope there right!

[yeti monster]

Weather permitting, I have a fair bit planned for tonight.

ISS at 19:00

HST at 19:30

Io/Ganymede transits of Jupiter starting at 20:50, although I may be pushing it to wait up for Ganymede.....

There you go, I've gorn and jinxed it haven't I?

[cotterless45]

Hope it's clear we've had non stop rain and scudding clouds here in Middle Earth.Roll on the dark nights, the streetlight opp. our house now glows a lovely red. Given the council's inactivity, we should get it repaired by 2060. Sometimes if you get up early it's been clear and there's Jupiter.

[yeti monster]

ISS was a no show, probably still too light or the cloud band in just the wrong place.

HST appeared, but I was being distracted by a Chinese man who kept asking me what the binoculars were called, so I missed the first 1/3 or so of the pass. But still, I caught it flying along, brighter and higher than last night.

[Uranium235]

If it's any consolation, things are no better here in China atm.

Lol... im suprised if you could actually see anything there! Last time i was there I didnt even see the sky for 3 weeks, just a hazy smog.

Back here though, things are looking good for tonight and the weekend.... time for a bank holiday blitz methinks

[yeti monster]

Onshore the night sky is an orange permaglow, where it's a struggle to see a full moon.

At least out at sea I get quite a few clear nights per trip.

Bad news though, the stuck crown plug running tool (that's been holding things up for almost 3 days) has been freed off, meaning that the BOPs are getting pulled tonight, so busy times ahead. I'll still hang about until I've at least seen a shadow on Jupiter though (touch wood).

[yeti monster]

Sadly, although things were looking good to begin with, fatigue, a strong breeze and vibrations meant that I wasn't going to see a great deal of Jupiters show. so I packed up before the transits started.

Now we are working at speed to recover the BOP and make fast for a tropicl cyclone which is heading directly towards us.