nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Because I live in a "very unpredictable weather wise" part of the country, I spend a few minutes each day looking through several weather and astronomical websites. My guess, you do too. Here is my list - with my favorite first. I also added some other sites that I have added to my "browser startup page" in fact, all of these boot up when I start my browser.

Very close to real-time - I can always count on this

1 - https://weather.cod.edu/satrad/?parms=continental-conus-13-24-1-100-1&checked=map&colorbar=undefined

2 - https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?w0=t&w3u=1&w4=sky&w7=rain&w10u=0&w13u=1&w14u=1&w22=vsby&AheadHour=48&FcstType=graphical&textField1=34.9183&textField2=-81.86&site=all&unit=0&dd=&bw=&BackDay.x=7&BackDay.y=11

3 - https://www.cleardarksky.com/c/OvrstrtObSCkey.html BTW, you can have this site with your name added provided there is not another located within a certain distance of your location....just contact them and make the request. as in OVERSTREET observatory

4 - http://clearoutside.com/forecast/34.93/-82.02?view=midday

5 - https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/outdoorsports/seeing/spartanburg_united-states-of-america_4597200

I use these two sites for help in whether to try to image the sun - provide I can see the sun!

1 - http://halpha.nso.edu/

2 - https://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/ I can spend hours on this site - click on any pic to enlarge....be sure to explore "data links" and click on the 48 hour video....in fact there are other options on this site to see a time lapse of the sun for about any length of time.

Last, Telescopius - I think everyone knows this site but just in case....a great place to plan your evening.

https://telescopius.com/

Share your favorites!

SkyKing Loc: Thompson Ridge, NY

...Thanks for these...I’m just getting started in my journey with astrophotography and spent the night trying to photograph the Andromeda Galaxy...it was my second attempt with frustrating results...

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Awesome! This is a terrific hobby! You have the right forum to begin your journey - these guys are terrific unselfish sharers of their knowledge. We are all in the same boat learning with each night of clear skies! By the way, are you a pilot? I am reminded of the old TV series, SkyKing with Penny - and others solving crimes and arresting the bad guys!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Yep, "Out of the Blue of the Western Sky comes Sky King". Used to watch it as a kid.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I was "head over hills" over Penny! I wonder what ever happened to her?

For you young'ns check out these SKYKING EPISODES

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-sz-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=sz&p=youtube+skyking#id=1&vid=201f5d2457f54f2a60158fc5581ab7d5&action=click

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

She passed away 10 years ago.

Gloria Winters (November 28, 1931, in Los Angeles, California – August 14, 2010, in Vista, San Diego County, California) was an actress most remembered for having portrayed the well-mannered niece, Penny King, in the 1950s – 1960s American television series Sky King.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Winters#:~:text=Gloria%20Winters%20%28November%2028%2C%201931%2C%20in%20Los%20Angeles%2C,1950s%20%E2%80%93%201960s%20American%20television%20series%20Sky%20King.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

My heart throb!

alberio Loc: Casa Grande AZ

Is that a Cessna 310? I should know, as we ran the small airport in our town growing up and Sky King was one of my heros.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

I have a couple of apps on my Smarter-than-me-phone I will take a gander at occasionally.
But really, I can walk out, see the sky is good, and know I'm pretty much good for the night.
Especially this time of the year. My most unpredictable time is early spring.
Or as I refer to it, Brush growing season. That's when we get the most rain and grow our fuel for our Brush Fire Season. Which is going hot and heavy right now.
We are moving towards our Thunderstorm time of the summer. But usually those tend to skirt around me.

Our weather persons are the most inaccurate, over paid, guessers there are. Total celebrities, and can't find the weather with both hands.
They can't even get the temperature right most of the time.
Bob is more accurate.

btrlvngthruchem

My weather here on the west coast of Florida may be even worse than yours this time of year. I had one evening shortly after NEOWISE became visible in the evening to view it and no chance at all to photograph it because it was so low to the horizon. I've had but one clear night since May to do any imaging although I missed one the other night. The forecast wasn't good but went out for a dip in the pool before bed at about 2 am, it was perfectly clear. None of the forecasting apps got that right.

Regardless, thanks so much for sharing your favorite weather apps. There are several new to me so I'm excited to take a look. One that I've been using is called Astrospheric. It's about the most accurate (whatever that means regarding weather) that I've used. Check it out.

Finally, thanks also for the Sky King link! I used to watch it every Saturday at 12:30 pm after the cartoons were pretty much over. I've not thought about that show is about 152 years.

Jay

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I can relate - my family moved to Orlando Florida in 1954 when I was 9....I went to Boone HS in Orlando, Florida State for undergraduate, and Rollins (winter park fla) for grad school. my first job was teacher and football coach at Bishop Moore HS in Winter Park so I was in Florida from age 9 until 30. Until my mom passed 8 years ago, I traveled to central florida several times a year. I am very familiar with the sand fleas, palmetto bugs, humidity, and daily afternoon thunder-busters....as well as those tropical winds that blow in from the Caribbean at 100 plus miles per hour. Our weather is similar though - humidity is the bloody killer! There is no point using bath towels, we just get dressed wet when we get out of the shower! No sooner that you dry off you are wet from sweat again. To think I grew up in Florida without airconditioning. I had a window fan....those memories!

btrlvngthruchem

OMG, growing up in Florida without AC...I just don't know how you hardy souls did that. You are so absolutely right about not dirtying a towel to dry off after a shower. You get your clothes wet whether you towel off or not. I grew up in the mountains of PA and also had a window fan for the 2 nights a summer when it was needed.

I went out to image last night because the forecast was favorable until about 5 am where hit and miss showers were expected. I have to set up and tear down each time I image so was all set to polar align as soon as it got dark enough. Once it got dark, I finished the setup alignments and PhD2 calibrations. The weather was fine with some passing clouds. I came in about 10:45 pm to do a short 30 min telecom with China that lasted all of 18 min. When that finished, I happened to glance at the pool and freaked. It was raining. I flew out to grab the computer and cover the camera, lens and mount (I image with an f4 400 mm lens but looking to purchase my first scope). This morning, it looks like the camera, lens and mount are fine but the computer is likely fried. I'm going to desiccate it for a few days and see if I can revive it. Between those spotty pop up showers and forgetting to turn off the sprinkler system one night when I was imaging, it looks like this will be the second computer lost to water on the ground. I say "on the ground" because I lost another on a flight when the guy in the seat behind me bumped the flight attendant pouring a Diet Coke...direct hit on my laptop...fried instantly.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I use Telegizmos 360 or 365's to cover my kits. I leave them up year-around....through rain, hurricanes (yep we get those too), tornados, snow and temps in the teens as well as the humidity and heat of the deep south. They keep moisture off my kits - none - zero! My only complaint is I have to replace them about every 5 years or so. They have a inside "tin foil" looking fabric that I catch on pointed objects and tear. Other than that they would last longer. I also add an umbrella for the two piermounted kits which is easy to remove. It just helps keep the summer heat off the scopes by shield them from the direct sun. Those are my night time imaging kits. The third scope from the right is for solar and the far SCT is for visual use most of the time. I have an 11 inch vixen 260L (SCT) on that now. All of this to say, get a cover or an umbrella or both and leave them up, provided that you do not have them in the front yard. I haven't polar aligned in so long - whew not too sure I know how to run the Polemaster software. I just connect to power and plug the data line into a laptop or laptops that rest on a table between the two pier mounted scopes and control them using wifi from inside my home in my office. I also keep a camera mounted on the fence so I can see the clouds and kits. I have attached a night time shot of the gear during an imaging session. I throw a towel over the laptops when imaging.

(Download)


(Download)

btrlvngthruchem

Well, I'm impressed. A far cry from my Canon 6D and T5i with the f/4, 400 mm lens sometimes with the 1.4 or 2x expander and CEM 40 mount. Unfortunately, I only have the empty lot next to me to set up on that provides a clear enough view. When that sells, I'm either going to have to move or cut down a bunch of palm trees and remove half of a lanai screen to get open sky. I've thought of buying the lot and putting an observatory on it but the Association said absolutely not. My other idea also got nixed by the Association...building up and putting an observatory, albeit a small one on my roof. New Mexico, here I come. Thanks for sharing the info on the covers. That looks like a great setup you've got there. Oh, I also cover the computer with a towel, but was going to bring one out with me...woulda, shoulda, coulda...instead the computer is in a phosphorous pentoxide drying box.