Finally – a fleeting view…

Eagle-eyed readers will have spotted that I last updated this blog on March 11th. A week ago. That’s because it’s been cloudy here in Kendal for the past week. Seven days of dull, grey, smothering, soul-sucking, heartbreaking, planetary conjunction-hiding cloud. The ong-awaited closest approach of Venus and Jupiter came and went, unseen by anyone in this part of the world, and we had to make do with just drooling over the oh-so-beautiful pictures of it posted on websites like Spaceweather.com and by Faceook friends who live in places that don’t have a sky the colour of a North Korean dinner suit. It’s been godawful, it really has, genuinely upsetting. To look forward to Venus and Jupiter shining *this* close together, only to miss almost the whole ******* thing because Cumbria was covered in cloud, was horrible. I found myself thinking of the cloud, and the weather, as an enamy, as something to hate and loathe, as if that would make a difference, as if my own personal anger and frustration would burn a hole through the cloud allowing me to se ethe planets glowing above. I mean, good grief, even orcs stomping around Mordor must have had more views of the stars thatn we’ve had down here in the South Lakes recently…

Yesterday the weather finally broke, and Kendalians and South Lakelanders woke to find brilliant golden light streaming through their windows, and a strange, frighteningly-bright and -hot ball of silver gold fire blazing in the sky. Many reported it as a UFO, others cowered in terror in shadows, afraid for their lives, fearing alien invasion. Ever the astronomy outreacher I had to calm them by telling them that the bright ball of light was actually called “The Sun” and it was *supposed* to be there. Many didn’t believe me.

The weather forecast (ha! see previous post) predicted a clear night here in Kendal, so of COURSE I was working last night, but I took my camera and tripod in to work, hoping to grab some photos in my break as I have done before. Needless to say, the sky was cloudy and overcast as my break started, but I went outse anyway, and managed to get one quick picture of Venus and Jupiter shining above Kendal…

…before they vanished under a huge, fat, thick wodge of cloud…

…which stayed in exactly the same place for the next twenty five minutes of my half hour break. Finally, with the “Get Back To Work!” clock ticking, the offending cloud moved grudgingly out of the way, allowing Venus and Jupiter to shine in all their that’s-pretty-but-nowhere-near-as-pretty-as-it-would-have-looked-last-Monday! glory…

Really hoping now for a clear sky again tonight, which will allow me to get some more photos from work, and tomorrow night too, so I can go up to the Castle and take some more pics from there. I have some ideas…