Where have all the clear skies gone?

[brianb]

I thought I was going to get a clear night last night - at 2300 BST the sky was pretty much clear. At 2320 I'd finished lugging the LX90 out & had aligned it, noticed some thin cloud appearing high in the NE. Not drifting in, just forming. By 2330 the whole sky was pretty much solid stratocumulus; it carried on thickening until at least 0130 when I gave up.

This has happened several times in the last few weeks. In fact I've had exactly four nights in the last month (since Jun 20) when it's been possible to do any observing at all; on one of those nights I got only a few minutes and another one was pretty awful with lots of drifting cloud.

So - where have all the clear skies gone?

[Paul]

It was pretty much the same story here Brian - looked promising but never delivered!

I'm waiting for this global warming to kick in - they kep talking about it but nothing seems to be happening!

[Roman White]

I'm waiting for this global warming (...)  but nothing seems to be happening!

Not at all! A have noticed the warming on my own.
5-10 years ago here in Poltava the winter usually lasted from late November to late February, -10...-20C appeared often.
And in the last years the winter lasts from late December until mid-February, -10...-20C appears rare.
Just compare the average temperature in Poltava for Dec; Jan; Feb:
for many years: -4; -7; -6
2006/07:          +2; +2; -2
2007/08:             0; -4; 0

[martinastro]

Unfortunate to hear this guys. That's strange because I was clear here all night except for the occasional shower and so was John. There were occasions when it was overcast but within 10 min's it was as clear and crisp as a Winter's night. Seen two ISS passes but no NLCs where present along the skyline. Maybe clear tonight going by the forecast.

Interesting weather data Roman.

Some scientists who are not main-stream fully believe that global warming now could trigger a rapid cooling in the not to distant future. The increasing presence of NLCs are thought by some to be a sign of global warming to. No matter if the climate warms or cools humans will adapt, like they have been doing for millions of years. 

[dogstar]

their still there only problem is their above the cloud's

[brianb]

Unfortunate to hear this guys. That's strange because I was clear here all night except for the occasional shower and so was John. There were occasions when it was overcast but within 10 min's it was as clear and crisp as a Winter's night. Seen two ISS passes but no NLCs where present along the skyline. Maybe clear tonight going by the forecast.

Hmmm ... the weather here does often seem to be local, and I've found the regional forecast for Western Scotland is usually more accurate than that for Norther Ireland. Well I can see the Hebrides (Islay) from my window, given normal atmospheric clarity, it's only half as far as it is to Belfast so perhaps that's not too surprising.

Some scientists who are not main-stream fully believe that global warming now could trigger a rapid cooling in the not to distant future. The increasing presence of NLCs are thought by some to be a sign of global warming to. No matter if the climate warms or cools humans will adapt, like they have been doing for millions of years. 

The Gulf Stream circulation does seem to have slowed down a bit, whether that is a consequence or a cause of changes in the climate is debatable. If it does "turn off" then the climate here will indeed change, with long very cold winters.

We humans haven't been around for all that long - at most 150,000 years for Homo sapiens - and adaptation takes time. Whether our attempts to use technology to modify the climate will be stabilizing or destabilizing, or completely ineffective, is very much open to debate. The Earth is not at risk, and neither is life on Earth, but our way of life and the dominance of large mammals is, I would think, very much in doubt if warming of the order of 5C in a century occurs.

IMVHO our best bet is to take measures to reduce our population to a sustainable level - much lower than at present - a "greener" lifestyle will do no good at all if we carry on overrunning the planet, exploiting resources like land for our own short-term benefit.

[martinastro]

Very well said Brian!

[Paul]

Isaac Asimov wrote some years ago that he thought the Earth is capable of comfortably sustaining no more than a billion people indefinitely. We currently have 6.5 billion and this is the problem.

[Roman White]

Yes, Paul, the 6.5 billion is already a big problem. And what  problems will arrive with 9 billions in the nearest future... I agree that 1 billion is the maximum optimal capacity, maybe even 500 mln would be enough.

The biggest world wars arrived when the population became over 1,5 bln...

[lunartic]

I think what one of the more frustrating aspects of the recent weather is the way that for some nights the sunsets look beautiful, the sky begins to take on that dark blue colour and even the brighter stars start to appear.  The moment a piece of astro equipment appears outdoors the clouds rush in and covers everything.  It has now got to the stage where I'm reluctant to set up the tripod for fear that the moment the scope is mounted the stars will vanish.

[Paul]

That's certainly been true for me Paul - just as the temperature drops that vital couple of degrees all the humidity condenses out - I've been frustrated that way many times - more, I think in the past two years than ever before.

[brianb]

The moment a piece of astro equipment appears outdoors the clouds rush in and covers everything.

You might have something there. I think the Chinese are putting cloud magnets in all the kit they make!

On Sunday night I set up the WO FLT 110 about 8:30 pm to give it plenty of time to cool off & the cloud stayed away, except for a patch around Jupiter which is what I was trying to image with it. OK I did get a session but I'm sure I could have done better with less cloud.

Been out three times already today trying to get a look at the Sun, which keeps peeking between the clouds but hides as soon as my 8cm refractor (Chinese manufacture) gets outside. I'd mind less if it wasn't so bl*sted hot - if we're going to have Mediterranean temperatures, then at least we ought to have Mediterranean sunshine to go with it.

It's really frustrating, isn't it.

[martinastro]

It was completely clear here all last night. Interesting that I had no telescope out though. Maybe there is something in that cloud-telescope law.

[Roman White]

I think what one of the more frustrating aspects of the recent weather is the way that for some nights the sunsets look beautiful, the sky begins to take on that dark blue colour and even the brighter stars start to appear.  The moment a piece of astro equipment appears outdoors the clouds rush in and covers everything.  It has now got to the stage where I'm reluctant to set up the tripod for fear that the moment the scope is mounted the stars will vanish.

It would be worse if you go home and the sky will clear up 

It was completely clear here all last night. Interesting that I had no telescope out though. Maybe there is something in that cloud-telescope law.

Maybe it does exist. What I know exactly - the observer-NLC law exists.
1. When you're observing (for many hours, with camera on the tripod, under the clear skies) - nothing appears;
2. When you're not expecting for NLCs - they always arrive;
3. When you are imaging NLCs - the camera batteries get empty. _{(in this reason I always have another batteries with me)}

Here in Poltava the weather is perfect since Sunday (Jul.20). It is very hot (+30...+35C) in the daytime and very warm (comfortable +18...+23C) at night. Clear in the daytime, and very clear at night. But the such beautiful weather will end tommorrow; rain is forecasted for the weekend.