It's Always Clear During Full Moon

There, I said it. We've all said it before, cursing the moon under our breath. "Why couldn't it be clear last week, during the meteor shower, or last month for the eclipse?" Now, when we are least inspired to head out to the telescope for the night because of the big, bright, full moon, NOW it clears up!

After it happens to you so many times it begins to feel like it happens every month. I'm just saying, it feels like it.

To be honest, I've had a pretty good string of clear nights lately, so I have no reason to complain just because it continues to remain clear here. It all started when I brought home the new German equatorial mount for my telescope. Last time I checked in here, I was on my way to NEAF to give a workshop on variable stars and the AAVSO. I've been incredibly busy since then, but that's another story. But, certainly part of that story is the new mount and the clear skies that I've been blessed with.

Now everyone knows you don't buy new astronomy gear and then plan to observe right away. Invariably, as soon as you take your new toy out of the box it gets cloudy for 30 days. It's another well know astronomical urban legend, clouds always come with new gear. That's because they pack them in the box! Everyone knows that.

There may actually be something to that old saying. You see, when I bought my new mount at NEAF this year I didn't have room to bring home the boxes the mount came in. They were way too big for the car we were driving. No way was our luggage and that beast in three boxes fitting in the car. So I opted to bring home the goods boxless. It's been clear or partly cloudy almost every night since, so there is your proof. The clouds come in the box. I didn't bring home the box, therefore, no clouds. As further proof, the weather in New York has not been great since I left. Sorry, New York, I left you my quota of new equipment clouds when I left the boxes behind. Maybe next month it will clear up...probably right around full moon.