Quickest cloud-over on record.

[pete_l]

I stuck my head out at about 7pm this evening and noticed it was clear. Since I want to take part in the Sky darkness survey, I popped out and got got a reading (Mag 4) for my location. Buoyed by my success, I decided to drive over to my local "dark" site and see what the number was there. In the 15 minutes it took me to drive the 3½ miles the sky had turned to almost complete cloud. I could just make out Jupiter.

Drove back home (half expecting it to still be clear there) and yup, it was a total white-out.

[lunator]

pete

I got home to clear skies but could see the clouds rolling in.........

[iamzoso60]

It's incredible the speed at which you can go from clear skies to complete cloud cover. A couple of weeks ago it happended to me, so by the time I'd set up and popped back in for laptop, clouds had rolled in and I spent the next half hour packing everything away again.

[oldfruit]

Same happened to me more than once. Have left the scope out to cool and when i have been ready not a star in sight, wall to wall cloud.

[acey]

Once in a while it happens the other way. I decided to pack up the other night under a clear sky at my dark site because it was so windy and cold and I was too darn tired. The clouds rolled over while I dismantled the scope and the moment I shut the boot of my car it started bucketing down rain. Glad I hadn't waited another five minutes before putting my stuff away.