CURRENT STATUS:
Summer semester operations begin Monday, May 11th, 2009: Weather permitting, open 9:30 pm EDT Monday through Friday for Introductory Astronomy classes. Weather permitting, open 9:30 pm EDT Thursdays for the OPEN program (Observatory-Planetarium Public Education Nights). Call 706-864-8642 after 7:30 pm EDT (1.5 to 2 hrs before nominal opening time) for daily operational status.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
No events currently planned. Saturn is well placed for evening viewing and the rings are just a few degrees from edge-on. On Sept. 4th the rings will be at 0 degrees inclination (edge on), but Saturn will only be 11 degrees from the Sun.
NGAO WEATHER LINKS:
Clear Sky Chart Homepage
The Clear Sky Chart Homepage uses a Canadian weather service cloud condition forecast graphic to forecast the sky condition (clouds), atmospheric transparency, and darkness at several hundred sites in Canada and the USA. The NGAO clock below is linked to the NGAO clock on the Clear Sky Chart website. Real-time Weather Data (Satellite Page)We usually consult the visible or IR animation for MGM (southeast). The visible image is only usable during daylight hours for the eastern continental U.S. The water vapor image is often helpful as well.
The high wind shear associated with the jet stream creates thin turbulent layers which can degrade the "seeing". (The visible detail of an object as seen through the telescope is limited by atmospheric conditions. Astronomers use the term "seeing" in describing the quality of the detail or resolution allowed by the atmosphere, as in: "good seeing" = lots of detail, "bad seeing" = not much detail) If the core of the jet stream is within a couple hundred kilometers of the observing site, the seeing may be affected.
NGAO WEBCAMS:
NGAO WEATHERCAM (view is slightly west of north):
(To view, input ID & password: NGCSU & NGCSU.
(Open camera, no password. This webcam may be used to determine if TOs are present at the observatory.)
(For remote operations, password protected.)
