Rant: That one perfect night at Cherry Springs vs. a whole week of clouds

I drove 3 hours to Cherry Springs State Park last Tuesday and got the clearest shot of the Andromeda Galaxy I've ever taken. Stacked 120 frames and you could see every dust lane clear as day. But the week before that at my usual spot near Harrisburg? Six straight nights of high clouds ruining every single image I tried to capture. Which do you guys think is worse: getting one amazing night that sets the bar too high, or dealing with a string of bad weather that makes you question your hobby?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sean1mo ago

Got a buddy who drove five hours to the Adirondacks last fall for a whole week of astrophotography. He sat through seven straight nights of solid overcast, not a single star visible the entire time, and came back with nothing but a sunburn from one afternoon hike. He still talks about that trip like it was a tragedy, but at least your one perfect night gave you a killer shot to remember.

simonw411mo ago

Seven nights of clouds and all he got was a sunburn. Sounds like a real winning vacation, honestly. At least he tried though, I guess that counts for something. But yeah, one good night versus a whole week of nothing, I'll take the one night every time. That's just how it goes with this hobby, you roll the dice and sometimes you lose. Still beats sitting at home wondering what if.