Observing stats for 2019

Forums General Discussion Observing stats for 2019 Observing stats for 2019

#581857
David Boyd
Participant

Although subjectively it seems to have been a poor year, probably influenced by the recent persistent clouds, the evidence shows otherwise. I am in South Oxfordshire in the UK.

I always calculate my statistics as the proportion of the nights when I was potentially able to observe (ie not away from home or otherwise engaged) that I did actually record useful observations, either photometry and/or spectroscopy. It is a reasonable assumption that if I had been available every night of the year, this is the proportion of nights when I could have observed.

Over the previous 14 years my annual average has been 42.1% of nights when I was able to observe. The std dev on this is 2.9% and the trend is absolutely flat – conditions have been very consistent over this period.

In 2019 the proportion of observable nights was 41.2%. Over the year there has been considerable variation. In Jan, Feb and Nov the monthly figures were all below 27%. In Jul, Aug and Sep they were >57%. However this variation is no worse that in previous years.

Best wishes for (more) clear skies,

David