You can’t win them all.

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Bigzmey United States of America
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You can’t win them all.

#1

Post by Bigzmey »


07/16/21

On Friday night the half Moon was to set around 00:30, so my plan was to drive to the Anza site, set the camp, catch a few hours of sleep and observe early morning. I did my homework: all weather apps promised clear night and Anza webcam showed blue sky. So, it was a go. I have arrived to blue sky, set the scopes under blue sky, had dinner and went to sleep under clear sky. However, when I woke up around midnight high clouds were all over the sky. In disbelieve I have opened the Clear Outside app and now the app was showing high clouds through the night. :lol: Nothing else to do but go back to sleep. I have checked later at night – still high clouds, but when I woke up at 07:00 it was blue sky again. The Nature was screwing with me. :lol:

At least the morning was nice and cool, and I had a nice breakfast. I did not check traffic (it is Saturday morning after all) and took my usual route home through Temecula. But 30 miles later in Temecula the streets were clogged with cars. What’s going on?! I have managed to reach the freeway 15 entrance, but it was blocked completely by police. Later I found out that there was a nasty crush on the freeway. Obviously, all people turned away were flooding alternative routes, I was lucky to get out of traffic and decided to drive back to the Anza site and consider my options. It will take a few hours for traffic to clear, I may as well stay for another night. However, the weather apps have shown full overcast with some rain – no thank you!

I investigated alternative routes home and managed to plot one completely avoiding I-15 and other obvious roads. Extra 30 miles and mostly back roads but should be no traffic. That drive was not bad. Me and my truck on scenic route through deserts, mountains, mesas, and forests. “Country roads, take me home to the place I belong!”
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#2

Post by SpyderwerX »


What is it they say about "the best laid plans"? :lol:

Those days do come around. Glad you made the best of it and enjoyed some scenic driving time. :)
~Frankie~ My mind: Always on...Slightly off. :?
Celestron CPC1100 SCT....Celestron Evolution 8 SCT...TeleVue-85 apo...SkyWatcher ST150 achro..ST102 achro..ST80 achro.
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Baader BBHS prism and mirror diagonals + Vernonscope quartz 1.25"
EPs: TeleVue oldie (NJ) & modern Plossls, Widefields, and Naglers + 3-6 zoom & Brandons 6-32.
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#3

Post by pakarinen »


LOL. I got punked this morning. Went to bed early since it was mostly cloudy, woke up about 0200, checked weather satellite app - clear!

Went downstairs, stepped out on deck, and... so much humidity that I could barely make out Saturn.
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I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
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AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#4

Post by kt4hx »


No best-laid plan goes unpunished (to mix two old sayings)! :lol: But at least you did get a nice drive through the country, which I always find enjoyable.

Sounds vaguely reminiscent of some of my recent outings, though at least in my case I actually got to observe. But I am sure better nights are ahead for all of us. I am hopeful after my current lunar holiday is over later this month, things will settle down.
Alan

Scopes: Astro Sky 17.5 f/4.5 Dob || Apertura AD12 f/5 Dob || Zhumell Z10 f/4.9 Dob ||
ES AR127 f/6.5 || ES ED80 f/6 || Apertura 6" f/5 Newtonian
Mounts: ES Twilight-II and Twilight-I
EPs: AT 82° 28mm UWA || TV Ethos 100° 21mm and 13mm || Vixen LVW 65° 22mm ||
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Filters (2 inch): DGM NPB || Orion Ultra Block, O-III and Sky Glow || Baader HaB
Primary Field Atlases: Uranometria All-Sky Edition and Interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas
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"Astronomers, we look into the past to see our future." (me)
"Seeing is in some respect an art, which must be learnt." (William Herschel)
"What we know is a drop, what we don't know is an ocean." (Sir Isaac Newton)
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pakarinen United States of America
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#5

Post by pakarinen »


I have to retract part of my comment. I just checked the wildfire smoke map. Yeesh.
smoke.png
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I drink tea, I read books, I look at stars when I'm not cursing clouds. It's what I do.
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AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#6

Post by Bigzmey »


I had it all guys. Over the years I have been smoked out, rained out, fogged out and clouded out from Anza. :lol: I try my best to avoid driving for nothing, but nature always has the upper hand.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Makuser United States of America
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#7

Post by Makuser »


Hi Andre. Another old saying: "Astronomers propose, then weather disposes". As Alan stated, at least you have a nice scenic drive through the countryside on your way home. Thanks for your report Andre and better luck next time with the skies.
Marshall
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Celestron Omni XLT150R f/5 Refractor on CG4 mount with dual axis drives.
Orion 180mm f/15 Maksutov-Cassegrain on CG5-GT Goto mount.
Orion XT12i 12" f/4.9 Dobsonian Intelliscope.
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#8

Post by helicon »


I'm sorry the weather did not cooperate Andrey. Here in the Berkeley Hills we were placed on a red flag fire alert with an evacuation warning due to high swirling winds and dry lightning starting at 5pm Sunday and continuing through today at 5pm, due to monsoon weather approaching from the South. I saw some very strange cloud formations yesterday -but the lightning did not show up, and the winds were moderate. I went to bed at 10:30 and woke early. At 5:30 am this morning the NWS canceled the alert. And by that time the cool marine layer had defeated the humid and hot interloping weather. However, this afternoon the humid weather has returned. Since the lightning storm we had last August 13th (which resulted in 10,000 lightning strikes and 30 wildfires) was so serious admittedly I was worried. So dodged the first bullet of the fire season.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
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Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Bigzmey United States of America
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#9

Post by Bigzmey »


helicon wrote: Mon Jul 19, 2021 7:53 pm I'm sorry the weather did not cooperate Andrey. Here in the Berkeley Hills we were placed on a red flag fire alert with an evacuation warning due to high swirling winds and dry lightning starting at 5pm Sunday and continuing through today at 5pm, due to monsoon weather approaching from the South. I saw some very strange cloud formations yesterday -but the lightning did not show up, and the winds were moderate. I went to bed at 10:30 and woke early. At 5:30 am this morning the NWS canceled the alert. And by that time the cool marine layer had defeated the humid and hot interloping weather. However, this afternoon the humid weather has returned. Since the lightning storm we had last August 13th (which resulted in 10,000 lightning strikes and 30 wildfires) was so serious admittedly I was worried. So dodged the first bullet of the fire season.
Stay safe Michael! One can be too cautious about wild fires.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Unitron48 United States of America
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Re: You can’t win them all.

#10

Post by Unitron48 »


We've all had these sessions. Luckily more good ones than bad! Keep on truckin' Andrey!!

Dave
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http://www.unitronhistory.com

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein
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