The Clear Sky Clocks (www.clearskyclock.com) were showing a clear sky for last night. I decided to prep the Astronomy Vehicle and head up on the mountain. As soon as I hit the top of the mountain, the wind became very notable, and slightly angry. I decided to proceed to the observing site, hoping that the wind would not be as bad on that side of the elevation. Upon arrival it did seem to be a bit protected, so I started to set up. I had the heat going and several tripods set when the first big gust came through. I figured it would be an occasional thing, so I continued to set up under dark skies, while the thin crescent moon continued to set. Suddenly, in the distance, I heard a truck driving down a nearby highway. It was odd because I have never heard a truck driving down that highway before tonight. Then, as the trees started to rustle and bow, I realized it wasn't a truck but a large gust front heading my way. I ducked inside the warm bus just in time as the massive gust of cold wind slammed into the vehicle and rocked it steadily for almost a minute. That gave me all the time I needed to decide that I wasn't going to be able to do any astrophotography in these conditions and observing would be in question as well. So I loaded the tripods back up into the vehicle, turned off the heat, and headed back down the mountain. That wasn't the first time that happened, and it certainly won't be the last. But, nevertheless, it is hard to leave clear skies, especially when they are hard to come by in this area.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
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