For many years I've read about the curse of new telescopes = clouds. I never thought much about it in the early days when I slowly built my telescopes over time. But times change and now I buy telescopes. I began wondering why the sky can be clear for weeks and weeks or months and months, inspiring telescope fever, and just as soon as a new telescope is ordered and delivered, the sky turns to overcast and rain, for weeks, months, and sometimes even years!
I have data to back up my claims and can verify the curse is real. Six years ago I bought one of the largest telescopes sold, because our skies were clear and this inspired the great telescope fever within me, including aperture fever as well. I was planning a 24-inch but ordered a Celestron C14 first and upon arrival we were hit with a double monsoon rainy season, and for 2 years I waited for a stretch of clear skies.
Fast forward to now, and clear skies once again invoked great telescope fever and I made the mistake of ordering TWO TELESCOPES!!! I had not learned my previous lesson, but thinking the curse could be nothing more than a simple coincidence, I moved forward with the telescope orders. I also made an incorrect calculation - I surmised even if the night became cloudy, I could always use a sun telescope in the daytime. This proved to be wrong. Just as soon as the telescopes arrived the skies immediately turned cloudy, then to overcast and rain. At first, I stayed awake all night waiting for a brief 20-minute break in the clouds. Then, the weatherman said by some unnatural act of nature, the rainy monsoon period has reactivated and we can expect rain every day. He was not wrong (see photo above).
I started thinking, do others have this same problem, and asked the question to google. To my surprise, hundreds, if not tens of thousands, have had the same problem. As evidence, below are quotes from the Cloudy Nights Forum.
SKOOKUM: New telescope = cloud. Why? WHY?!! My shiny new C8 XLT with its Williams Optics crayford sits on its mount in my living room. Can't understand why the clouds would roll in tonight...:confused: The curse is real. Grrr.
therocksal: Ive waited 6 weeks for first light.....I'm jealous of ONE night.
Patrick: I bought a CPC1100 at the end of December and have not been able to look through it yet. It's the nature of the hobby!
pgrunwald: I bought a CPC1100 at the end of December and have not been able to look through it yet. It's the nature of the hobby!
Harold925: I've taken delivery of three new scopes since December 2008 and the cloud or rain invasion has happened every time.
skookum: After some detailed observation and analysis, I've generated a diagram which illustrates the complex meteorological relationship between clouds and new astronomy gear. (see below)
PatHolland: I never used to be superstitious until I purchased not one but 2 scopes in two months. The clouds just haven't given me much of a break in 4 months. Is there an exponential factor to the equation of the curse?
Scott Rose: I think I have had 14 seconds of clear skies in the last 2-3 months. I tend to buy equipment in the winter months so I do not jinx the cloud gods during nice weather.
frebie: It is a well-known fact that manufacturers pack clouds in new telescope boxes to act as padding during shipment. When you open the boxes, the clouds unfortunately rush out and reform over your house. It usually takes several days or weeks for the beneficial effects of starlight to eliminate the clouds.
MrKrink: It has to be true...I got a new EdgeHD after a year of contemplation and have had only 1 chance to get it out! Temp hasn't been much above 40 here since and snowed almost every weekend.
Jenn1013: So, as many of you stated, a new scope brings many clouds. My scope is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and, of course, the bad weather is here too. Tomorrow's forecast is rain and freezing temps. It hasn't froze in Houston since 2011, but the very day my scope arrives here comes the freeze...I was certain I would be the exception to the "cloudy weather when you get a new scope" rule.
Midnight Dan: Tough break! But we did warn you!
Postasaurusrex: Yep, the curse strikes again.
Nolaphoto1: Need rain? Buy a telescope.
The other day I finally committed to scope and today, the UPS man delivered it. At first I used to think all of those posts about the new scope/cloudy night curse were just a welcoming tradition for us newbies. Well, today started off bright and sunny. Then around 3:00pm CDT, it started clouding up. Then some rain fell for about 30 minutes. Then I heard a dull rumble. Was it thunder? Nope. It was a UPS truck pulling up and in the delivery man's hand was a box with the words VIXEN across the side. The curse is real.
Matt2003: I told you guys, the new equipment curse IS FOR REAL! I just ordered a 2-inch Ocular & an OIII filter last saturday. Boom! TS Hermine comes out of nowhere and clobbers most of this state (Texas)! It IS A REAL CURSE. Be forewarned!
AJ: Happens every time! My first real telescope over 25 years ago, an Astroscan, arrived with fog and drizzle that blanketed NE Ohio (where I lived at the time) for almost a week. Grin and bear it, because there is no recourse.
shivaram: The day I got my Skywatcher, it rained the most for that year in my place...
JIMZ7: I believe we had less than 1" of rain in the past 8 weeks. Really dry for this area. Can't cut the grass because the roots are near the surface--thus when you walk on the grass it comes loose. My dog has fun pulling up large clumps of dry grass. Yes it's time to purchase a telescope.
For some reason mine only brings clouds but no rain. Don T.
I'm a firm believer of the "New Scope Curse". I've been trying to hook up with a local astronomy club since I got my scope 5 weeks ago. They've cancelled (7) meets due to bad weather. Tonight was the latest. Four straight weekends of something but clear skies. They said this has been the longest dry spell in a long time. I found out one of the members got a real nice scope two weeks ago and hasn't had it out yet! I got new EP's last week and haven't tried them either. Not only the "Weather Gods" are watching but can read your thoughts. That's why I suggested everyone in the club get their "foil hats" on. Kenny J.
(In)Sanity: The truth about the new telescope curse. Well as many of us know there is a curse associated with buying a new scope that will guarantee it will cloud up, snow, rain, sleet, hail, or all of the above on the day your scope arrives. Well my scope was suppose to show up today via FedEx and didn't. The funny part is the sky got horrible just the same, and it's been crystal clear every night before tonight. So I have to conclude that the weather gods are monitoring the shipping companies arrival dates.
NeoDinian: Don't forget... The AMOUNT you spend also depends on just how BAD the weather is...An Eyepiece = 1 day. (Naglers = 2-3 days)
Small scopes ($300-600) = a week.
Larger scopes ($600-1000) = 2 weeks.
Bigger scope purchase (+$1000) = 3+ weeks.
Sarah88: We're still suffering pretty badly in UK. Santa must have delivered an awful lot of new astro gear at Christmas.
Steph: Ohhhh, man! You upgraded your replacement, Dave?! Thanks a lot. No wonder the forecast for next weekend is thunderstorms and rain AGAIN. And Jim over in Mansfield got a new TV102! Between the two of you, I may never get to see the stars at night again...
Dubboy: I think someone in Northern Michigan must have opened a new observatory with mucho $$ worth of equipment. We've had about 3 clear nights since November.
(In)Sanity: Well my 8" came in tonight around 6 pm. The weather is terrible and it's suppose to start raining tomorrow morning. Almost 5 months without a drop of rain and now it's supposed to pour buckets.
mistyridge: The curse is real....Two years ago I ordered a new scope when the weather had been clear for two months. It arrived three weeks later in the middle of a howling storm. We had two months of rain and fog after that. Now I am expecting delivery of a new scope in the next week. Guess what, More rain expected. Maybe I should take up amateur meteorology and buy a doppler radar.
Listen ter yers all. Yer a disgracefull pack o whinin jessies. Yers should all be sat out there in the ice an wind and rain an all wi yer duts on jus waitin up all night fer a tiny smidjin o sky thru the clouds like wot us, up to our ankles in mud does here in the lovely ole UK. Don't youse have umbrellas or cagoules or nowt? Yer just not dedicated, nay wonder yer has to buy all them fancy expensive telescopes when all yer needs is a couple of empty beer tins, some sellotape an yer dads shavin mirror. Shame on you all... Joe
redpanda1203: How Many People Have Experienced The New Telescope Curse. I am wondering what the percentage is for the amount of people that experience the new telescope(or binocular) curse. For me, I had the bad luck of experiencing it for my binos and telescope.
jgraham: Hmmm, if I recall right every new equipment purchase comes with two free weeks of cloudy weather.
Certochrom: This winter, I had to wait for weeks until I could test my newly bought eyepieces for a first time. Don't dare to imagine what would have happened if I had bought a whole new scope!
Thermodynamics: My Unistellar Equinox arrived Friday and the “new telescope curse” has hit with a vengeance! Here in the South we are in the midst of one of the biggest Winter storm in years.
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/258200-new-telescope-cloud-why-why/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/449957-here-comes-the-clouds/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/56330-the-truth-about-the-new-telescope-curse/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/13779-new-scope-is-here-so-are-the-clouds/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/288510-need-rain-buy-a-telescope/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/522641-how-many-people-have-experienced-the-new-telescope-curse/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/807452-i-bought-the-most-controversial-telescope-of-this-century/
