I just found an amazing app for determining sky quality and meteorological conditions It is called "Clear Outside"
You can use your phones gps to determine location or program in specific sites...I programmed in my location at my observatory...AMAZING APP!!!!!!!! not sure if available for Iphone but I would imagine it is...an alternative to the Clear Sky chart with much more detail!
See image for a screenshot
Gary
Gary, I have had that app on my iPhone for a while now and you are correct..it is super! The other one I really like is Astrospheric.
Thanks for sharing.
Ed
Thanks Gary and Ed!
I've loaded up both your app suggestions and now along with Clear Sky I can have absolute certainty I can't see the sky tonight but there is some hope for tomorrow.
Live for another day night!
Phil, According to all of our apps and forecasts, I'm doubtful about tonight. I was supposed to do an outreach event tonight but I think it will (soon) be postponed until tomorrow. I am hoping to show people Saturn, Jupiter, the Crescent Moon and the ISS flyby.
Ed
Hi Ed
Good to see you last night at the meeting. In your last reply you mention an outreach that night. I don't see anything in the calendar, did you mean Friday night?
Well anyways, I see predictions for a clear and reasonably dark sky tonight, so excited to get out there and discover if I will get lucky again.
Cheers,
- Phil
Phil, Besides helping with Sidewalk Astronomy and our observatory events, I do lots of Outreach on my own and in most cases there is no point in adding it to our calendar. For several years I have encouraged members to help with outreach that I do in schools, libraries, Scouts and Guides, etc. and only a handful of people offer to help, and it's always the same people. I hate to keep bugging the same people and I'm tired of posting requests for help, so I end up doing the majority of it on my own. Maybe people are simply too busy or maybe they are intimidated by students, etc. and I do have the advantage that I taught for 30 years. Of course, there is nothing stopping members from doing their own outreach just like I do.
Tonight I was out in Scotland at a Brant County event. They had a campfire and a few astronomy crafts for the kids. Just over 50 people showed up and after I gave a talk under the stars, they got to see Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon through a scope. I also pointed out the ISS as it did a flyby just before 8 PM. It was a very successful and rewarding event. And I know that the organizers truly appreciated me, the time and effort I spent and the fact that I drove almost an hour each way.
Sorry if it sounds like I'm blowing my own horn, as I'm typically humble about doing this stuff.
Ed
Hey Ed, sounds like you are doing a great job getting kids aware of astronomy. Good to get their heads pointed up sometimes instead of always at their phones. Who knows what you may have triggered in their minds that could change their life in the future! :D