Stormy Weather

[Serial_Apologist]

I was correct in thinking I could smell the frost coming, it got to under 2° here (a beautiful clear starry night, got to figure out what that exceptionally bright star is, around 3am-ish, in a ESE direction?) and a thick frost on roofs and the grass in the field. Today has been mainly bright, but very cold wind, I think it's been chilly all day (but that may just be me, need to get acclimatised after all this mildness), under 11° now, but gone cloudy and rain on the way.
(has anyone heard from BBM since his move? hope he's ok)

No word to me Anna - maybe sal?

I noticed that star last night too; here the night sky is pretty much obliterated by light pollution, but that particular star shone bright, and I can't say I'd consciously noticed it before.

More or less sunny day here too, maximum 12.5. Went out on the bike this afternoon, and noted numerous branches and huge quantities of green leaves down for the council to clear up. Five big branches ripped from our nearest sycamore now occupy half of the clothes line area - I expect it'll take Dulwich Estate quite a while to get around all its properties.

Pretty strong rain-bearing westerlies expected nearly everywhere at different times from Friday, possibly stormy again on the S coast that day (imv), temperatures picking back up generally to around 15 C for a few days from the 6th.

[EdgeleyRob]

Not a bad day today,dry and at times sunny,quite windy though.
Few spots of rain now,waiting for me to take the dogs out.

[Anna]

I noticed that star last night too; here the night sky is pretty much obliterated by light pollution, but that particular star shone bright, and I can't say I'd consciously noticed it before.

Yes, oh I am glad you saw it too! (what you doing being awake at that hour?) I don't draw the curtains so if I wake up I'm looking at the stars - and No, that does not mean I am lying in the gutter a la Oscar Wilde! ) I've noticed it the last few clear nights, it's probably just something mundane we should all know, but it's so bright! Makes you think, about other galaxies, and are they watching us

[marthe]

I was correct in thinking I could smell the frost coming, it got to under 2° here (a beautiful clear starry night, got to figure out what that exceptionally bright star is, around 3am-ish, in a ESE direction?) and a thick frost on roofs and the grass in the field. Today has been mainly bright, but very cold wind, I think it's been chilly all day (but that may just be me, need to get acclimatised after all this mildness), under 11° now, but gone cloudy and rain on the way.
(has anyone heard from BBM since his move? hope he's ok)

I know what you mean about the "smell of frost coming." We've not had frost yet but have come pretty darn close. It's a good thing as I still have houseplants outside waiting to be brought in for their winter rest. Does anybody else have problems finding room for houseplants that seem to have grown like Jack's beanstalk and will no longer fit inside? I've tried putting some of my surplus plants on the street with a "free" sign but the only person to take any away was my sister! On topic: weather has been cloudy, chilly, and grey here in Newport, RI. Tonight is the pre-Halloween evening of mayhem known as "Cabbage Night" when young people (usually teenagers) go around and smash pumpkins, egg cars, strew toilet roll about the shrubbry, and spray cars with shaving soap. Tomorrow evening, their younger siblings go about in fancy dress collecting sweets during the annual ritual of "Trick-or-Treating." Roll on November when all is quiet on the Newport front. Bah humbug etc... Bonfire party on the 5th of Nov. is something we look forward to.

[Nick Armstrong]

I don't draw the curtains so if I wake up I'm looking at the stars - and No, that does not mean I am lying in the gutter a la Oscar Wilde! ) I've noticed it the last few clear nights, it's probably just something mundane we should all know, but it's so bright! Makes you think, about other galaxies, and are they watching us

Ooh she's gone all cosmic on us, she has!

Sure it wasn't that bloke from Waitrose peering in - you know, the one with the twinkle in his eye...?

Seriously, you've got me wondering about that star too...

[Nick Armstrong]

got to figure out what that exceptionally bright star is, around 3am-ish, in a ESE direction?

Judging by my interactive night-sky chart, it's Procyon in Canis Minor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procyon

With Sirius in Canis Major and Betelgeuse in Orion, it forms the Winter Triangle

http://www.space.com/22929-procyon.html

PS: I use this - http://www.astronomynow.com/sky_chart.shtml#

If you enter 'late month' - 'October' - '3am' you'll see why I think it's Procyon.

[mangerton]

Ooh she's gone all cosmic on us, she has!

Sure it wasn't that bloke from Waitrose peering in - you know, the one with the twinkle in his eye...?

Seriously, you've got me wondering about that star too...

I was looking on line too and I can't work out what this Bright Star might be. I have an app on my ipad (Night Sky) which is quite amazing and would probably help, but I fear I might be asleep at the appropriate time.

OT: Still mild here, some rain today, and altogether autumnal and depressing.

Yes, Procyon looks likely, or possibly Sirius.

[mercia]

whenever I've asked on this forum for the identity of a particularly bright star in a vaguely southerly direction I've always been told it's Venus

[Nick Armstrong]

whenever I've asked on this forum for the identity of a particularly bright star in a vaguely southerly direction I've always been told it's Venus

Perhaps when you asked, it was For example, in early December around dawn, that will be the case I think...

[mangerton]

whenever I've asked on this forum for the identity of a particularly bright star in a vaguely southerly direction I've always been told it's Venus

It often is, but at the moment Venus is setting an hour or so after sunset. More info here.

[Anna]

PS: I use this - http://www.astronomynow.com/sky_chart.shtml#
If you enter 'late month' - 'October' - '3am' you'll see why I think it's Procyon.

Why are star charts back to front? They have West and East transposed (ok, someone will tell me there's a logical explanation but I know that West is on the left ... ) Also, that website won't let me be interactive.

It seems I have to find Orion's Belt to see if it's Sirius instead of Procyon, and most infuriating, I have temporarily mislaid my compass, I was going to put it on the windowledge last night to get an accurate bearing. Assuming I was awake enough to faff around at that hour.

S_A's warning about London & SE & SW torrential rain for tomorrow with half a month's rain also applies to Sunday it seems with a yellow warning for both days. Here, checking our monthly rainfall we've had 177.5mm (nearly 7") as against the average for October of 73.6mm

marthe, we had an outbreak of the 'tricking' i.e., silly string, eggs, etc., and the local police stamped down hard on it, since then it's all been peaceful, Guy Fawkes is our celebration, but as someone once said to me 'Why celebrate a failure?'

[Nick Armstrong]

that website won't let me be interactive

I know, it's odd. Try adjusting the font size of your screen - the boxes to fill appear with a particular font size (just press 'Ctrl' and try a few '+' or '-' and you will I hope find that the boxes appear, to enter the details for date and time)

[Anna]

I know, it's odd. Try adjusting the font size of your screen - the boxes to fill appear with a particular font size (just press 'Ctrl' and try a few '+' or '-' and you will I hope find that the boxes appear, to enter the details for date and time)

Oh, have you put your Wizard's hat on? You must have had a fiddle with your magic wand behind the scenes because - now it's interactive!! Without me doing anything!

[Nick Armstrong]

Oh, have you put your Wizard's hat on? You must have had a fiddle with your magic wand behind the scenes

....they don't call me MagiCaliban for nothing

[Nick Armstrong]

Meanwhile, Anna: tick tock tick tock....

See your inbox