Kielder and Salisbury Star Parties

[RobertM]

Didn't realise quite how far Keilder is - 2/3 rds the distance to Ollies in the south of France and probably almost the same time getting there due to the traffic

I certainly hope you get some clear weather !

Robert

[Fay]

dont forget I am not doing it in one leap Robert. I will feel like Frodo Baggins, when I set off

[Carole]

Good luck Fay.

Wet weather warnings to the west...

Yes was in two minds whether to come or not, but Last night was forecast to be clear (but it was very intermittent, and by the time I had set up it had clouded over, and as it was very windy (and apparently there is a rogue new family living in the village and lots of stuff has got stolen), I decided not to leave my scopes out, then of course by the time I took them off it had cleared again !!!!  However it was very windy and and I think it was going to be in and out all night, so went to bed. 

Since the weather forecasts seem to change daily I decided since it was all paid for to come down and see how it goes, at least i am meeting some like minded people from the forums.

Carole

[Carole]

It's been windy almost all day and raining.  Spent most of the afternoon chatting with a group of people from SGL in a large tent which was nice, but none of them want to go out anywhere tonight, either got some work to do or studying, or some such.  So retreated to my wet and windy tent.  

Well this evening was the last straw.  Sitting at the laptop in my tent I could see drips coming down from the ceiling of the tent, and had to unplug everything electrical except the hook up which is vertical, and retreat to the inner tent otherwise I would have absolutely nothing to do.  

I even brought the "covered and polar aligned mount indoors".  
I think I am going to pack up and come home tomorrow, I can't see any dry weather at all apart from tomorrow evening, but I don't think I can face another two wet days.  As it is I'll be packing up in the rain.

Should have trusted my intial instincts and not come at all, but half the time you can't trust the weather forecasts.

Only good thing to come out of it was meeting a few people I have chatted to on the forums.



Carole

[MarkS]

Carole,

Sorry to hear your report but I'm not surprised - the weather forecast for the SW was dismal. 

Let's hope Fay has better luck at Kielder!

Mark

[Tony G]

Fay,

YOU NEARLY THERE YET!!!!!...YOU NEARLY THERE YET!!!!!

Tony G

[Mac]

Na,

Fay's just been spotted near the dartford tunnel.



She is the one at the front holding everything up.

[Rocket Pooch]

Well my sister in Corwall yesterday got a right load of rain!

And its heading north east!  As in Kilder.

Fay might have to wade in that 4x4 of hers.

[Carole]

Well as you can see from my post above I was pretty fed up last night and if I could have packed up there and then I would have.  I realise now that the drips inside my tent were condensation and not the tent leaking, I had been cooking.
Correction, it seems that other people had rain dripping inside their tents who hadn't been cooking, so must have been the driving rain and wind after all, but I guess the cooking steam added to it.

The rain and wind stopped late last night and would you believe it, they saw the aurora at 1am (in colour this time) and I missed it!!!!!
I can't believe I have waited alll my life for this and booked to go to Iceland next year to see it and it happens twice in a month where I have been camping.  I duly castigated my new found friends for not waking me up.  

Well this morning it is sunny which will give a chance to dry a few things out and cheer me up at the same time.  Although some rain is forecast for this afternoon a clear night is predicted so I'll give it one more night.  Apparently a picture of the aurora has been posted on SGL - but not taken from this site.  My chums who saw it said what they saw was like the 3rd picture.

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-widefield-special-events-comets/161125-fantastic-aurora.html

[MarkS]

The rain and wind stopped late last night and would you believe it, they saw the aurora at 1am (in colour this time) and I missed it!!!!!

Apparently, on Monday the Aurora was seen as far south as Atlanta, Georgia:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=northern-lights-show-as-far-south-a
In European terms, that would be as far south as Northern Morocco!
We just need some lucky timing ...

Mark

[Rick]

In European terms, that would be as far south as Northern Morocco!

Remember you need to use geomagnetic latitude, not geographical latitude, for that sort of comparison. North America has a huge advantage over Europe on that score.

[MarkS]

Remember you need to use geomagnetic latitude, not geographical latitude, for that sort of comparison. North America has a huge advantage over Europe on that score.

Thanks Rick - I wasn't aware of that.  I just naively assumed it was centered on the geographic pole.
I've just learnt something there.

[JohnP]

Thanks Rick - I wasn't aware of that.  I just naively assumed it was centered on the geographic pole.

uhhh...! Mark fancy not knowing that & you call yourself an Astronomer... Schoolboy stuff indeed...!!! 

[Carole]

No more aurora last night, but according the the web the activity had died down from Saturday's CME so wasn't expecting it really.

I decided to brave one more night as it was forecast to be clear all night.  

It was clear until about midnight, then clouded over, but there was a huge ground mist from all the rain over the last few days.  

I managed to get about 3 hours imaging done but problems getting my darks and flats done in the rain (another story)

Rained the rest of the night, everything is soaked again.  
Have had enough.  

Packing in gaps of rain.

I wonder if Fay has arrived at Kielder, I've lost track of when she left.
Hope she's having better luck with the weather.

Carole

[RobertM]

I would think Fay would be arriving today sometime but that's only a guess.

Did anyone fit a tag to her before she left ?

Robert