best south florida viewing months???

[jadibartolomeo]

hey everyone <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> i live in fort pierce, florida, which is south of vero beach and north of west palm beach on the east coast. i'm still having fun trying to locate things with my newly acquired 8" celestron cassegrain...however, we haven't had a clear night in a a while where i live. and when the clouds do break, it's for maybe 15 minutes. when are the best times of year from experience for observation in south florida???<br /><br />i've seen saturn through a 25mm eyepiece, which got me super excited, but that's about it because it's been so freakin cloudy...<br /><br />thanks for any input <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[MeteorWayne]

Be patient grasshopper, and welcome to Space.com.<br /><br />There will be many things to see. There will be clear nights.<br />All you can do is be prepared when the clear night appears.<br /><br />I'd suggest subscribing to Sky and Telescope or Astronomy.<br />They do a decent job of giving you targets.<br />Either is worth it for the inspiration.<br />S&T is a bit more technical, Astro is a bit more newbie friendly.<br />I subscribe to both, but I'm a reading addict <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Then keep an eye out here on SDC, for breaking news you can't find anywhere else. We have many eyes. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[votefornimitz]

Ahh, you're (only) about 200 miles south of me....<br />Yeah, its been cloudy all week up here in Jacksonville...<br />I've only been really active on a day to day basis since September, but I find later November through December the best times for viewing, as it limiting magnitude actually seems to increase so you can view more, and it didn't strike me as being cloudy very often...<br />I'll have to find my log for December to give you a percentage of days where cloud cover was an issue...<br />I am a bit further inland though, and more northerly, so you might get clouds more often because of a more dynamic coastal environment.... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <span style="color:#993366">In the event of a full scale nuclear war or NEO impact event, there are two categories of underground shelters available to the public, distinguished by depth underground: bunkers and graves...</span> </div>

 

[jadibartolomeo]

it seems where i am, it's clear during the day and cloudy at night...and since the moon decided to come out last week, i've been grabbing my scope in the late afternoon when the sky is still blue but the moon is visible...and i can see a ton of detail on the moon...enough that i'm not completely discouraged with the cloudy nights.... <br /><br />i bought the sky and telescope 2008 supplement that highlights each month. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> been reading through that and this month's issue of s&t to keep my curiosity piqued. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[ashish27]

well, i used to think its always sunny & dry in Florida......

 

[bdewoody]

Really? Just because it's called the sunshine state don't mean its always so. I've lived in Florida most of my 58 years and it has always rained a lot here, but the "dry" season is usually from around December to late May. I've tried on several occasions to go out and spot the space station on nights when it flies over central Florida and it always seems to be cloudy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[qso1]

Its been my experience, the colder, the better viewing. When a cold front moves thru S. Fla...it clears out the air so to speak. Low humidity, clear skies. This is usually between November and March. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>