Due to the extreme weather forecasts for tomorrow, especially sub-zero wind chills, Member Night has been cancelled.
The second member night at CRO in November is on Saturday, January 13.
Sunset is at 1739 (5:39pm). Nautical twilight begins at 1806. Astronomical twilight begins at 1838. Twilight ends and true night begins at 1909.
The moon sets at 2023 (8:23PM) and is a Waxing Crescent (9%).
Check the weather forecasts and check back here to ensure it will be good viewing weather and CRO will be open.
If anyone is coming that can open the 14” or 30” scopes, please post on here that you will be attending and it will be open.
If you’re planning to come out, please post on here that you are coming.
If you want to be guided to CRO, please post here and check back to see if a CRO member can meet and guide you. CRO members, please post what time you can meet any members needing guides. Please make arrangements to meet directly with whoever will be guiding you.
The location of the observatory is also now searchable in both Google Maps and Apple Maps. Search for Cheddar Ranch Observatory, Watonga, OK, and it should appear and give you directions if you want. It might also appear in your GPS app/program.
The current forecast is not good. Clouds start moving in about 2 hours after sunset and the winds are predicted at 15-20mph. And temps in the teens, even early in the evening.
If this hold true, I will not be going out. But we’ll see.
As has been common lately, it looks like Friday night will be very nice, if cold. But I’ll be at the club meeting. Oh well.
I will not be going out Saturday. Though it looks like it’ll be mostly clear now (maybe a few wispy clouds), the temps I’m seeing are in the single digits (an overnight low of 3F) with a 15-20mph wind. As Dave posted, the wind chill will be brutal.
Even if the wind was zero, some of my scopes are not rated for those temps.
Everyone who goes out Saturday should dress for arctic conditions.
Unfortunately, I am leaning towards not going as well. I can do cold. But that’s pretty darn cold. I will probabky do some observing from home. Unless the weather drastically changes, I will not be going.
Due to the extreme weather forecasts this weekend, I’ve cancelled Member Night tomorrow night. Even if clear, high winds, extremely low temps, and sub-zero wind chills do not make for good observing.
If any CRO member still intends to go out tomorrow, please post here that you will be going. Please ensure at least 2 people are there for safety. That’s especially important under these conditions.
But for safety reasons, we recommend that no one go out.
Stayed clear last night at about 1 degree. The wind speeds were not reading from the weather station. There is snow on the ground this morning. It would of been miserable last night.