How is your Sky ?

[Solsearcher]

I had a PM discussion about this with Gordon yesterday and he did not object to me posting about this topic . In my discussion with Gordon I tried to describe what I was seeing in my sky and how it has a negative effect on my solar imaging . I do not get sun in my "quick and easy" spot until almost 11:00 am So Gordon pointed out that this is a bit late in the day for solar imaging , he also said that there is not much air traffic around him and the con trails quickly dissipate . I am well aware that earlier is better my quick & easy spot used to get sun much earlier before the trees got bigger . So today I thought I would get out early and set up in the back where i do get early sun . This was my sky at 8:30 am this morning .

The last plume passed right across the sun from my vantage point , no imaging today and discouraged once again . These streaks dissipate quickly but leave a milky haze behind that drastically interferes with my imaging . Looking around outside it looks like any other sunny day . But through the telescope I can watch it drift through the live view , It is like having lower atmosphere muck to deal with along upper atmosphere disturbances .
I have been doing this for close to 10 years now and there was no sign of this back when I started , I began to see this about 3-4 years ago , seems to always happen when the weather is predicted to be clear and sunny .
PLEASE i do not want this discussion to go in the direction of any conspiracy theories , there are other sites for that .
What I would be interested to know is if there is anybody else out there who has noticed this . My daytime sky used to be much better , how has your sky been ?

[notFritzArgelander]

Yes, I've noticed that daytime skies have become more difficult. Places that I visit repeatedly over the years are less clear. Fair weather doesn't seem to mean what it used to.

[helicon]

Looking up I see a couple of those in my skies - it was entirely foggy this morning but it burned off by 10am. Not sure if it is new or not, if they are contrails, or just some kind of cloud phenomenon. I have noticed that these long narrow things usually dissipate after sunset, so since I am not a solar observer/photographer it doesn't bother me very much, but they do look odd. The only thing I have noticed is that these seem to occur on days when it is more humid than normal.

[notFritzArgelander]

Looking up I see a couple of those in my skies - it was entirely foggy this morning but it burned off by 10am. Not sure if it is new or not, if they are contrails, or just some kind of cloud phenomenon. I have noticed that these long narrow things usually dissipate after sunset, so since I am not a solar observer/photographer it doesn't bother me very much, but they do look odd. The only thing I have noticed is that these seem to occur on days when it is more humid than normal.

One might do a study to see if this were a possible effect of global warming. Higher average temperatures means higher water content in the atmosphere. That's NOT a conspiracy theory, BTW....

[Solsearcher]

It is definitely caused by or coming from planes , I have watched them leave the streaks . I have seen contrails all of my life and they are short in length and dissipate very quickly . Never in the past do I remember contrails stretching from horizon to horizon . If you look at the shadows in the second pic you will see that the streaks line up with the path of the sun . Likely something to do with "climate change" or whatever they are calling it this week . My government is all in when it comes to this , likely my tax dollars at work .
I am curious to hear what people are seeing in other countries as well as other areas of Canada

[Butterfly Maiden]

Prior to lockdown, I saw many con-trails high in the sky over my location, and as they dissipated over time they did spread out sideways slightly, but I wasn't aware of them spreading that far apart as in your photos.

Quite a mystery.

[Lady Fraktor]

I have seen some that disappear within minutes and others that spread out and take a considerable time to dissipate.
We seem to be a the mercy of temperatures and winds higher up or a lack of them at times.

[Thefatkitty]

My skies seen to have had constant "high thins" or just haze even, for about the past three years os so. 2016 was the last year I remember a fair amount of crystal clear nights and days. A few in early 2017, but since then... I have the pictures and notes to prove that things have changed for me weather wise in the past three years, and that's after 20 years this year.
This isn't a conspiracy thing (I don't do that) but I wonder if the scientific reason, or part of it, is the melting that's happening at the poles and other areas north and south.
Clouds are formed from moisture, and I've had my fair share it seems forever

Whatever it is that's going on, it makes for some dusty scopes!!

All the best,

[Altocumulus]

There certainly seems to be more high level cloud around than I can recall seeing before, unless they 'just' coincidentally appear when I want to image..... We've been in thick mist/low cloud for a week now, so I can't remember exactly what's up there

The large stream in your photos look suspiciously like contrails that persist, and spread out over time. They may just not be noticeable at night, unless there's a decent moonshine.

It's especially worrying seeing the aviation industry ought to be at a minimum these days!

[Solsearcher]

My skies seen to have had constant "high thins" or just haze even, for about the past three years os so. 2016 was the last year I remember a fair amount of crystal clear nights and days. A few in early 2017, but since then... I have the pictures and notes to prove that things have changed for me weather wise in the past three years, and that's after 20 years this year.
This isn't a conspiracy thing (I don't do that) but I wonder if the scientific reason, or part of it, is the melting that's happening at the poles and other areas north and south.
Clouds are formed from moisture, and I've had my fair share it seems forever

Whatever it is that's going on, it makes for some dusty scopes!!

All the best,

Hi Mark
Thank you for your post , it is nice to know that there is someone else out there who has also noticed this . You have just described exactly what I have been experiencing , I do not have written records but I do have solar images dating from 2011 that show the same sudden decline in viewing conditions . I rarely view at night and have not attempted night time imaging so I do not know if this also effects night time astronomers . Moisture in the air causing clouds and con trails is understandable , changes in the climate melting polar caps ect. could be the reason but the change I have noticed was quite sudden . It was not gradual deterioration , it was more like what just happened , Why can't I do this anymore ??
Vapor trails
If you still have the video from your avatar I would be willing to bet that the vapor trail from that jet completely disappeared in about 10 seconds .
I was lucky enough to catch one passing across the sun a few years back and the trail disappeared quickly and did not disrupt my imaging session in any way . Now if a jet is going by leaving a streak it will soon dissipate and drift into my live view and end any imaging opportunity . I can not understand why a few years back a jet could fly right through my live view and not disrupt my imaging and yet today if the jet is leaving a trail it just has to be close , is this really moisture ?
The trails that I showed continued through the day , today there is no sign of any trails and the day looks bright and sunny but I know that it will be poor for imaging because I can see the white hue drifting in the sky that was left behind from yesterday's air traffic .
This is the reason that my scopes have also been "collecting dust" I used to watch the sky to to see if clouds would hinder me , now I watch for the contrails . My forecast is for clear sky's for the next few days , I am expecting "air traffic" to pick up again soon .
Thank you all for your input , would like to hear from others who might have noticed a sudden change in viewing conditions . Something changed in Ontario between 2016 -2017