A friend of mine suggested a snowmobile suit for insulation. Actually, I like Joe's idea of going down to Tucson, AZ for winter observing. We are thinking of going down there next month if the weather cooperates. Look at the temperatures for this week. http://www.weather.com/outlook/health/allergies/weather/tenday/USAZ0247?x=16... Debbie
From: Richard Tenney <retenney@yahoo.com> Date: 2005/12/27 Tue PM 07:48:04 MST To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Winter observing
Thanks for the suggestions Chuck. I defnitely second the insulated overalls -- I have a pair of Carharts (you can get them at IFA or Cal Ranch) and they are excellent. The wool Navy watch cap sounds like a great idea. Amazon.com has them for $5.50 plus shipping. Being comfortable makes all the difference in the world.
I've also heard it wise to avoid coffee (or more specifically, caffeine) as it constricts blood vessels and actually diminishes visual acuity.
--- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Here's a few suggestions gleaned from decades of all-season observing.
Dress for low temperatures. This doesn't mean just a parka and gloves, while still wearing the Dockers and loafers you had on at the office earlier. Wear thermal underwear, or at least a substantial, comfortable layer under an insulated outer layer.
I prefer insulated overalls, the kind diesel mechanics wear when working outdoors in winter in Rock Springs. If you get the right kind, you can even dispense with the parka in sub-zero temps.
I also wear a wool Navy watch cap, and not just so I can look like Guy but that's a bonus according to him. Keeping your head covered and insulated is important. You can also pull it down over your ears. I have never found a hat of similar weight that kept my head as warm as a wool watch cap.
I have a pair of fingerless gloves so I have sufficient dexterity with those expensive eyepieces.
I can wear a heavier glove on my non-dominant left hand if it's really cold and shove my right hand into a pocket with a hand warmer occasionally if I need to keep it free of the cumbersome full glove.
For footwear I seldom need more than a pair of wool socks in addition to a pair of electric socks, with my ubiquitious sorbothane insoles in hiking shoes. If you get cold feet easily, substitute snowmobile boots for the hikers.
Right now the air is fairly clean, after a storm. Head out tonight! Turbulence is only a problem if the flow is not laminar. Laminar flows disturb the images relatively little...this is why a fan blowing across the face of your mirror is sometimes preferable to one blowing around from the backside. This means find a hill that faces the prevailing wind direction, with as few ground-level obstructions as possible upwind for as great a distance as possible.
Still air is usually found at the bottom of an inversion, but that is the time you want to seek higher altitude. Deep-sky objects won't take much muck in the air, but surprisingly, planetary views are sometimes excellent under these conditions.
These are just some basics, there are more hints and tips for winter observing, some specific to certain types of equipment, locations, etc. I hope they help. There is really no need to be uncomfortable in even the coldest temperatures. I have observed at near zero-F in relative comfort- meaning no more than hourly stints at the eyepiece followed by a warming session in a darkened car or cabin, then back out again to repeat the cycle. Keep the lights off when warming so you don't waste time re-adapting to the dark.
Remember that bad weather and lousy skies can happen at any time of year, so it's rather unfair to complain about winter skies at large. Someone already posted that winter skies can be the best, and this is very true.
How about others posting their suggestions for successful winter observing/imaging?
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