21:28 – 23:24
I opened the dome at 8:30pm and then went off to do some more work. A few calls later and it was time to come back and see if I could grab comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE which had now moved further West and further in altitude over the past week, meaning it should be visible from the dome. Below is Arcturus as I performed a quick sync.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-21.32.34.660-1024x640.png)
Below you can see Arcturus on The Sky X with the dome slit showing and the obstructions from the horizon also present.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-21.33.31.562-1024x640.png)
Comet NEOWISE can be seen just above next doors tree.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-21.33.53.921-1024x640.png)
A quick peek with the camera and I could just make out the comet.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-21.35.30.019-1024x640.png)
Clearly more clouds rolled in which is typical
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-21.48.40.055-1024x640.png)
Looking at the cameras in the dome I could see the cloud bank of cloud (picture top right)
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-22.09.48.393-1024x640.png)
Fortunately the comet could be seen at the back of the cloud bank.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-22.46.01.257-1024x640.png)
So I set about quickly taking some images before the comet disappeared behind the tree.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-22.59.53.389-1024x779.png)
The other useful thing tonight was using the monitoring GingerGeek put together. Below are a selection of shots from the website.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.20.59.953-1024x640.png)
The chart below shows the light cloud cover and the sky temperature is representative of the sky clarity and relates to cloud coverage too. The scale is inverted to -18℃ is a cloudless beautifully clear night sky, which tonight was not!
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.21.08.389-1024x640.png)
At least there was no rain 🙂
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.21.23.905-1024x640.png)
This image below shows the cloud bank just North West of Reading that was a problem.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.21.40.542-1024x640.png)
This next chart is from the data produced by the AAG CloudWatcher weather station. Note the sky temperature is nowhere near the -18℃ to be clear.
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.22.24.475-1024x640.png)
And finally the all sky cam just as I packed up showing the clouds clearing
![](https://imt.gingergeeks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Screenshot-2020-07-22-at-23.21.55.306-1-1024x640.png)