BBQ & summer heatwave chat 2012

[Channel Hopper]

Rode back from Kent late this morning and as soon as I got back into Surrey the heavens opened. About two inches of water on the motorway within a few minutes and then 40mph restrictions flagged up everywhere.

Lovely.

 

[pgh13]

Seem to have had a charmed weekend..... Went to a BBQ Saturday on S side of Sheffield and despite a showery forecast for most of the day, just got a few drops in the evening. Stopped off for a wander around Nottingham on the way home yesterday and got back in the car after 90 mins and then the heavens opened

 

[Topper]

Yes here also it was charmed, in fact yesterday I was on the promenade at Cleveleys getting sunburnt, and was surprised by the post from VS, never saw any significant rain or hailstone all day, but plenty of dark clouds to the South and East

 

[Lazarus]

And so it continues ...................... Stair-rods again here right now. No hail, just torrential rain.

The Farmhouse just down form us had it's driveway/access tarmac sprayed and topped with a rather nice gravelly aggregate last week - yesterday's storm has washed rather a lot of it into the village lane and there are signs of some of it being carried up to three hundred yards according to SWMBO after returning from her morning walk.

 

[Channel Hopper]

Some heavy stuff coming this way for later this afternoon.

 

[Vipersan]

Yes here also it was charmed, in fact yesterday I was on the promenade at Cleveleys getting sunburnt, and was surprised by the post from VS, never saw any significant rain or hailstone all day, but plenty of dark clouds to the South and East

Well I definately didn't imagine it Topper...
Presumably the same storm which passed over Chester causing the race meeting to be abandoned ..thus ruining my bet for the day..
Still ..got most of my princely £2.75 wager back ...but no chance of geeting more ..even with a 12 - 1 winner up at Newbury..
cest la vie

 

[Channel Hopper]

Last day today for the mini summer, make the most of it.

 

[Vipersan]

Last day today for the mini summer, make the most of it.

...
..Didn't even get a last day here m8...
Thick cloud ..no sun ..and very very threatening overhead ...
Yep ..thats Manchester for ya..
Last in to the mini summer ..and first out..
Or at least thats how it seems to me.
cest la vie

 

[Vipersan]

Yep ..I was right ..the threating gloom ..just became a reality ..
Now raining ...
I suspect those marathon runners in Londinium ..would have loved it..
Personally ...I'm sick of it..

 

[2cvbloke]

It's slightly warmer here today, just been to Ikea in Gateshead, looking at their Kolons and Daves (seriously, they have products called Kolon and Dave!!!), was cold when we went into the store, was warm when we came out of it, not by much though, this is the cold north after all...

Roll on Winter, might aswell look forward to it now, seeing as summer was a non-event...

That reminds me, must start stocking up on fireplace fuel for winter...

 

[Topper]

Yep ..I was right ..the threating gloom ..just became a reality ..
Now raining ...
I suspect those marathon runners in Londinium ..would have loved it..
Personally ...I'm sick of it..

Did not last very long VS, soon blew over and the sunshine returned

 

[Channel Hopper]

Some final fettling on the roof before the rains arrive, split the terrestrial and satellite signals from the single cable, add one a(nother) DiSEqC motor on the main pole for testing of receivers independently of the main system, and clean up the ten or so connections that haven't been touched since I installed the 1.8m dish.

And I've got a burnt nose to boot.

I also found a Newtoninan telescope (Celestron model 114) in a charity shop earlier in the week so I'll have a play round tonight if the clouds turn up a little later. Additionally the Perseid shower is still occurring so a couple of beers whilst I'm setting up the tripod will be a welcome distraction to the busy schedule next week.

 

[Vipersan]

Some final fettling on the roof before the rains arrive, split the terrestrial and satellite signals from the single cable, add one a(nother) DiSEqC motor on the main pole for testing of receivers independently of the main system, and clean up the ten or so connections that haven't been touched since I installed the 1.8m dish.

And I've got a burnt nose to boot.

I also found a Newtoninan telescope (Celestron model 114) in a charity shop earlier in the week so I'll have a play round tonight if the clouds turn up a little later. Additionally the Perseid shower is still occurring so a couple of beers whilst I'm setting up the tripod will be a welcome distraction to the busy schedule next week.

..Speaking of Perseids CH ...
Have you seen _anything_ yet ..??
Sadly was cloudy here last night ...as per ...and I suspect much the same tonight ..
I know the best viewing direction is NE ...but on the off chance there is a rare break in the cloud cover...is there a best time to view ...and approx elevation at said time ?
rgds
VS

 

[Channel Hopper]

Much of the data is here

This year, the Perseids will be visible from the northern hemisphere between 11 and 14 August.

If the clouds cooperate and the skies are clear this weekend, the prime times to watch are generally between midnight and 3am. This year the night of the 12th going into the 13th is expected to be the best. But meteor showers are extremely variable and if you have the chance, watch in the early hours of any morning between the 11th and 14th.

The direction in which to look is the east. If you know your constellations, find Perseus then look at its surroundings. Take a deck chair, blankets and a hot thermos to keep you company. Even in August, you will need the last two. Then wait. The expected rate of meteors this year is a few dozen per hour.


_http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/across-the-universe/2012/aug/10/perseid-meteor-shower-astronomy

and

_http://earthsky.org/tonight/more-perseid-meteors-plus-moon-and-venus

I don't normally make a special late night out to view meteors as they are a freak of nature and unpredictable. But if I'm on the roof working on other shenigans, I'll take a larger flask of something and keep my eye out for them.

 

[Analoguesat]

..Speaking of Perseids CH ...
Have you seen _anything_ yet ..??
Sadly was cloudy here last night ...as per ...and I suspect much the same tonight ..
I know the best viewing direction is NE ...but on the off chance there is a rare break in the cloud cover...is there a best time to view ...and approx elevation at said time ?
rgds
VS

They spread out from the radiant in the north east - you can see them in any area of the sky, but anything from the Perseids will appear to come from the one area.

Totally clouded out here last night

 

[Channel Hopper]

And it clouded out almost immediately, so no chance of setting up the spotter scope.

I did see one meteor, directly overhead running from North to South, but I wasn't going to stay up just for those, and after noticing the 'all that is good about the UK plc envoy', Russell Brand on the closing ceremony, it was time to turn off the lights.

 

[Vipersan]

Better luck here atm ..
Been outside for an hour ..and seen 3 pass in various directions to the east..
Big hole in the cloud cover ..with a few stars visible to the naked eye ..even with the light polution..
Warm enough still (muggy) to be outside in T shorts..
Looks like I might catch a few more later ..but my neck aches a bit..
;)
Nice setup btw CH..
I'm impressed.
rgds
VS

 

[Lazarus]

The T-Short season ended just before the Grouse once more became victims.

 

[Vipersan]

Nasty cloud thickening in the East ...but still thin enough overhead to catch another about 4 minutes ago ..travelling North >South ...pretty much overhead ..and a bit to the East.

That makes 4 I've seen ..
The _most_ I've ever caught in a single night session.

 

[Vipersan]

..shows over for me I guess ..the cloud has reduced visibility to near zero
But ..I managed another at 12:10 ...again North South ..
Thats 5 tonight..
A big deal for me ..as its rare I get enough sky to see anything.
rgds
VS