Happy New Year!
Observing statistics for 2021 (2020 in parentheses)
Gary Poyner (Birmingham)
Not a bad first half of the year, but from August the majority of the time was taken with dodging cloud and observing in cloud breaks. Only 11 totally clear nights in the whole year (clear from dusk to dawn), and these were all in the first half of 2021. Dismal!
2021
Clear nights (less than 50% cloud) 19 (44)
Partially clear nights (50% or more cloud) 100 (95)
Totally cloudy nights 246.
Total observable nights 119 (139) with 82 (67) of these nights having Moonlight interference. I made observations on all 119 nights.
Total hours at the telescope 227.7 (296.9) hrs
Best month April with 16 nights – 12 partially clear and 4 clear (May. 24)
Worst month December with 3 nights – 2 partially clear and one clear. (Feb. 6)
Birmingham Met office gave incorrect information on cloud cover for 73 nights during 2021 (73)
Total visual VS observations for 2021 is 8,201 (10,717) a decrease of 2516 on 2020. CCD single measures using remote telescopes COAST, SLOOH and the AAVSO SRO-50 are 3,527 (1,909), an increase of 1618 on 2020.
Gary