why I don't observe

This is a strange idea... But it is born out of this general... frustration, this general angst, with observing. It is an effort to better define what I'm doing, or not doing. Getting cryptic here, I know.

The main point of this rant is to isolate the times that I don't go out and observe the night sky. It might be because I don't have time. It might because I'm feeling lethargic. Perhaps the opportunity is brief—I don't have a 'scope that can be setup in minutes. Regardless, I want to look for patterns. What motivates me? What's holding me back. Increase my awareness and understanding. And in the end, do it less. Not not observe. Um, yeah, observe more! That's it.

I've been thinking about this for a while. Tonight I decided to formally start a list. In fact, I built a new page in the companion site and made an entry for tonight.

I wrote up details. Including weather conditions (maybe there's a trend in this). It was getting a bit wordy. It was then I thought that an entry in the blog proper would be more appropriate, with all the details; the list should just be fast, quick, a list. OK. Next, I noted a couple of recent misses that were high in mind. Then I started to search in the main blog for other instances of not observing. Using keyword searches like "lethargy," "lethargic," "too cold." When I typed "tired," I found about 20 pages. Going back to 2007! Uh huh. Jack pot! I started to document these, briefly noting them. When suddenly it hit me...

Dolt! Stopping rewriting. Tag 'em!

So, the all new tag, to be used henceforth: "didn't."

Kinda funny. Anyway, moving forward, I shall make blog entries as per usual. That will get the calendar history trail happening. I should note weather conditions, the clear sky window duration, perhaps a transparency and seeing rating, my location, if I have a 'scope at my disposal, the set-up and break-down times anticipated, and, of course, my mood. Then apply the new tag. For future analyses...

Why don't I observe? I don't know. Not yet.

§

And to get the ball rolling...

The weather today (er, yesterday) not looking good during the day. EC reports and the CSC did not look great. For Toronto. Or Richmond Hill. The Members-only Observing Session at the DDO (MOOS-DDO) was called off by Observing Chair Stu in the early afternoon. Just after dinner he was lamenting. He then changed to provisional GO after 7 PM. Jim said "unprecedented" and that he'd go. Winkgo said Mars was good from his backyard at 8:30 and that he might head over.

I grabbed the EC report observed at PIA at 12:00 AM EST. Partly cloudy. Pressure: 101.8 kPa, tendency: rising. Temperature: -0.8°C, dewpoint: -3.9°C. Humidity: 79 %. Wind: W 17 km/h. Wind Chill: -6. Predicitions: Cloudy, -2°C. Sat: Cloudy with sunny periods, 3°C. Tonight Cloudy. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light early this evening. Low minus 2.

I had no intentions of going to the DDO. Too far without a car. No noises of anyone in the 'hood going. A big deal for me in terms of preparation. But I could observe out back! My 'scope was setup and ready to go, in the garage. Could have fired it up in minutes. Do some quick observing, maybe just a couple of hours? Very quick teardown.

But I was feeling a bit lethargic. Feeling a bit anxious about homework I should be doing. Mildly tangled feelings aboug RASC observing. I was without a plan. Had not considered, during the day, something might happen. Pizza arrived around 7 PM.

It was probably good skies from sunset to 11 PM in the city. I could see stars when dinner arrived. Peeked out at 12:15 AM. Some clouds.

This one is a mystery. Was it that I wanted to observe with friends. What did Shawn say? "If nothing else, I'd like to make it a night out with some friends." I keep circling around this idea, that astronomy is a social thing. Yes, sometimes I want peace-and-quiet. But if I had wheels at my disposal or if the session was close by, would I have gone?

My telescope was ready to go. Very quick start up. But as I considered it, I wondered about targets. Do I want to look at Mars? Measure some double stars? I didn't know what to do... Is it the lack of planning?! This started a new idea, to make a new type of target list. Like "big targets" or "career targets," a general list of things to work on. Which I could use any where, any time, any type of equipment. That said, I've been trying to improve my "top 10" list. I have the winter (and summer) double star lists. That's the whole point of the ECU...

To get out there!

But I didn't.