Observing stats 2015

[Gary Poyner]

It’s customary at this time of year to post observing stats to the forum.  Here is my truncated report from Birmingham with all the Variable Star stuff omitted.

Be interesting to see how others have done!

Happy New Year

Gary

Last years figures in ()

Clear 24 (37)  (Less than 50% cloud from dusk to dawn)

Partially Clear 80 (75)   (more than 50% cloud)

Total 104 (112)  observable nights with 44 of those nights under Moonlight.

I missed observing on just 8 of these nights due to health issues and one to holidays.

Total hours at eyepiece  206.88 hrs (247.27hrs)

Best month June with 16 nights (4 clear and 12 PC)

Worst month December with 4 nights (2 clear and 2 PC)

The period Jan-June was certainly better than the second half of the year with regard to cloud cover, but the sky quality in this part of the world continues to deteriorate.

I didn’t see/glimpse the Milky Way once from my observatory during 2015.

I’ve kept weather records for many years, and I attach a graph showing observable nights from my BIrmingham location since 1978 just for interest.

Attachments:

1. 

   nights.jpg
   

[M C Butcher]

As has been the case for the last 3 years or so the observing statistics for Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides have been poor. During 2015 I was only able to observe on 4 nights for a total of 11 hours. By way of explanation the 2 major problems here are cloud (the last year was an exceptionally cloudy one) and wind (often, but not always, associated with cloud). During the year we experienced severe winds on the following number of days:

Gale Force 8 (sustained winds of 39 mph and over or gusts of 49 mph or more) – 50

Severe Gale Force 9 (sustained 47 mph or more or gusts of 59 mph or more) – 26

Storm Force 10 (sustained 55 mph or more or gusts of 69 mph or more) – 8

Violent Storm Force 11 (sustained 64 mph or more or gusts of 78 mph or more) – 1

Martin Butcher

Isle of Colonsay

[Gary Poyner]

Do you image remotely Martin?  One wonders how you manage to keep sane in those conditions!

Gary

[Jeremy Shears]

In 2015 I imaged on 116 nights (32%), which is close to the average of the last 11 years (33%). However, it was a year of two halves, with the first four months being generally very good indeed. The best month overall was September with 18 nights and the worst May and Dec with only 4.

Jeremy

[M C Butcher]

Gary, On the west coast of Scotland we can have extended periods of cloud with much wind. The figures I gave were just for the days with Gale Force winds and stronger. Many of the interveening days had lesser winds which were too strong for astronomy. Maybe I should have gone down the Radio Astronomy path!

Martin

Isle of Colonsay 

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