My enthusiasm for astronomy is ebbing away.
Concerning the weather, I think something is happening perhaps beyond what the researchers are reporting. Here, in central Italy, we have had a winter very different from previous ones. In my mountains (Gran Sasso d’Italia), snow was always abundant from the end of November to the end of April. On the Campo Imperatore plateau, at an altitude of 2100 m, where the astronomical observatory is located, at least 1 m of snow. By contrast, last winter was disastrous for skiers and for all tourist activity. The attached photographs are a comparison between the normal winter situation on the plateau and that of winter 2024. All taken in the first week of February. During the winters of the past years, we have always had frequent very clear and cold nights down to -10 C. Using the telescope on the moon and planets was a delight. This year, on the other hand, cloud cover was more frequent than usual and the sky was less transparent, so there were very few night frosts that we did not have to use antifreeze spray on our car windows. The month of May allowed only a few observations. This morning I went out with my two dogs and wore a padded jacket because of the black sky and cold air. Summer had already broken out in the past. All this together with light pollution (from my terrace you can read the newspaper in the middle of the night) is dampening my passion for observational astronomy. No more shopping for telescopes, ccd cameras, go to’s, eyepieces, mounts, filters, mechanical work and as many other accessories as we want.
Alan, I agree with you.
I can’t take it any more! I have decided two things:
1) I will devote myself only to the study of Astronomy;
2) better enjoy that money by inviting a beautiful woman to dinner. Just tell me I’m wrong.
British Astronomical Association
Supporting amateur astronomers since 1890
