Strange Times

[RMSteele]

... and strange weather too. A clear sunny interval this morning at about half ten, so I carted the the telescope out down the drive to project the Sun. No sooner had the tripod feet touched the the paving when it started raining in the bright sunshine. In we go with the equipment before I even have a chance to uncap the objective. Ten minutes later and the rain had stopped and the Sun came out again. A very quick excursion and no sunspots noted at 60mm aperture at f15, raindrops still beading the telescope from the earlier shower.
The past three nights I have tried to catch Mars for sketching features around the planet's prime meridian, but again it has been cloud, brief intervals, rain and no luck at the critical times. The trouble with trying to view a specific meridian on Mars is that you are tied to a precise time and if you miss it, the window of opportunity knocks on by about half an hour each subsequent night. That will take me up to midnight tonight for the next attempt.
And speaking of strange times, she and I have taken to walks through our local greenwood and fields, when rain hasn't turned them into a major syrtis. Two days ago we were chancing the mud and unpredictable showers when, just as we approached the emerald way through the trees, a five feet branch walloped into the road right next to us.
Keep looking up!
Bob

[brian livesey]

It's the hurricane season across the pond. A number of recent Atlantic anticyclones that have been queuing up to drench and blow us away are the remnants of hurricanes.

[RMSteele]

Apparently Brian, there's a La Nina (with the squiggly n) event developing in the Pacific and some climate scientists are suggesting that these trigger more hurricanes, and wetter winters in northern Europe. It seems there have been a couple more Atlantic hurricanes than usual this season. Don't park near any trees. Bob

[brian livesey]

The Rocky Mountains also affect the weather here. Cold winds descend from the Arctic over the Great Plains, then, are deflected by the Rockies and turn eastwards, heading over the Atlantic to bring rainbearing cloud to Europe.
Then, there's the influence of the Tibetan Plateau and Himalayas on us ... .

[Kay Burton]

I won't reveal a secret if I say that late autumn weather is often unpredictable. Our hobby, which requires a good view of the sky, is now receding into the background, because the opportunities for contemplation are decreasing due to weather conditions. You have to occupy yourself with some other business.

[brian livesey]

We can attribute this year's weather Kay, to a record surfeit of Mid-Atlantic and Carribean hurricanes.

[Kay Burton]

Everything is possible. All this together affects the climate. And it seems to me that if there is a warm winter, there will be further distortions towards an increase in the number of cataclysms. Just being a little observant is enough.

[brian livesey]

There's an old saying: A mild winter makes for a fat kirkyard.

[RMSteele]

Brian, how quaint!