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I knew this would be a close call ... after some wonderful viewing last night (only to be defeated in the end by dew) I had hoped for a repeat tonight. It was clear as a bell all day, until the clouds started moving in around 2 p.m. When I left work, it was very cloudy and dismal ... and so was I - there would be no observing tonight. However, after arriving home and spending a half hour splitting firewood, I noticed that the sky was clearing! Against all odds, I sent up the 8" LX200, did a quick and dirty polar alignment, got the CCD gear out and ... looked up to see it all cloudy again. Always optimistic, I kept the setup intact until 6:30, when it was dark and getting colder, the kids were over, etc. etc. I tore the setup down and put everything in its place, hoping for clear skies over the weekend.
I just walked outside a moment ago and noticed it's clearing up again. Mars and the moon both are bright overhead. But I think I'm done for tonight. Here's hoping for clearer skies over the weekend (knock on wood) ...
The day was unseasonably warm and clear, so I thought that if the weather held, I might be able to get a few hours in with the 8" LX200. After setting up the telescope and doing a quick and dirty polar alignment, I was surprised to find that for the first time in my life, I'd hit precise alignment dead on, right out of the box! It was a great night of viewing, as the telescope tracked perfectly. I started imaging, moving between Mars to M42 and back, as I went through the trials of focusing the DSI Pro II. As I started to get near perfect focus, it became more and more difficult to keep the image sharp. Puzzled, I scratched my head and continued to work on the focus, slewing from bright to dim objects, back and forth, exposing Mars, slewing again, etc. Finally, I took a look at the corrector plate and saw a solid film of dew! I have a heated dew strip but the day had been so perfect that I had thought I would have no dew problems. WRONG! After only 90 minutes, I was done for the night. Above, you'll see a horrible photo of Mars, but it was the best I could get through the dew. There's always next time. That's how it goes here in the Pacific Northwest - you can wait two months for a clear night and then have it derailed very quickly if you get in a hurry or get careless - which is what I did tonight.
Well, after getting skunked this morning (see previous entry) I've waited all day for a chance at clear skies tonight. The telescope is ready and the sun set a few minutes ago. Now got to get my Ipod out there in its docking station and get Yahoo Messenger set up on the laptop so I don't die of boredom or loneliness out in the cold. Haven't used the St. Wiggles Observatory since we had all the property cleared, so I'm really hoping for some good success tonight. Of course, this IS the Pacific Northwest. I can get clouded out in one heck of a hurry up here. Wish me luck. :)
Well, if you live in the Pacific Northwest and your hobby is astronomy, you know how frustrating winters can be (and spring and fall!). After not having had an opportunity to do any viewing for quite some time, I've been keeping a close watch on the sky just waiting for "that" moment to arrive. After waking up at 2:30 a.m. today and seeing very crisp, clear skies through the kitchen sunroof, I bundled up, trudged through ice and snow to the observatory, breathed hot air into the frozen locks and opened for business. However, by the time I got the dew heater strapped on and got all the equipment powered up and ready, a high layer of clouds had moved in. So here I am now, inside, skunked by the Pacific Northwest weather once again.
Yes, it's a great CD (Pink Floyd's "Obscured by Clouds") but it's not a picnic for the stargazer. After having what could best be called a wimpy summer, fall has gripped the Seattle area and refused to let go, squeezing tighter and tighter and sending more and more weather systems our way. This is that time of year when frustration can get the better of you - there's a clear sky (of half of one) so you rush to set up the telescope and by the time you get it aligned, the clouds have magically appeared and the night is shot.
Continue reading "10/07/2007 - OBSCURED BY CLOUDS"
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After waiting all day for the skies to clear, I finally checked outside before going to bed and saw a little clearing. Seeing the interesting jet contrail in the sky, I grabbed the Canon EOS 20D and snapped this photo. But that will be it for tonight - the observatory will remain closed.
It is 4:25 a.m. as I write this, Saturday morning, November 11, 2006. I woke up an hour and a half ago with a monstrous urge to go pee. It happens when you get my age. After taking care of that, I stumbled out into the kitchen to get a drink of water so I could go back to bed and catch another hour or so of sleep. As I walked into the kitchen, I suddenly knew that there would be no more sleep for me this morning...
Continue reading "11/11/2006 - ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY NEAR SEATTLE"
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Well, tonight was yet another bust (sigh). I set up the 12" Meade Schmidt Cassegrain and prepared for a night of stargazing. Thought about hooking up the CCD and doing some imagery. But, alas, I just had fun browsing the Messier catalogue and not looking at much. We live on acreage that is surrounded to all sides by towering firs. That leaves a very narrow window of opportunity. The plane of the ecliptic is totally obscured, as are the horizons to each side, almost to zenith to the north and north-east. Forget looking south - I can occasionally spot a planet or the moon through the trees, but that's not for telescope viewing.
Continue reading "10/21/2006 - FRUITLESS OCTOBER STARGAZING"
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