Back to forums

Jet streams and DSO astrophotography

Acquisition Weather Deep Sky
11 replies•592 views
Are Jet streams relevant for SDO astrophotography?
Multiple choice poll 33 votes
85% (28 votes)
15% (5 votes)
You must be logged in to vote in this poll.
LookSpaceThings avatar
LookSpaceThings avatar
When planning my astrophotography sessions, I keep a close eye in the weather forecast, specially because I need to travel at least 1h.

For cloud coverage I am quite satisfied using the info from the website below (more useful for Europe)

https://charts.ecmwf.int/products/medium-clouds?base_time=202309210000&projection=opencharts_europe&valid_time=202309210000

Morevoer, I always check the jet stream forecast. Normally it is always fine for where I live, but for this weekend it is really bad. I use the website below to get the forecast (only useful for Europe)

https://www.netweather.tv/charts-and-data/jetstream

My question is, for DSO astrophotography, should I really be concern about jet stream?
Quinn Groessl avatar
Quinn Groessl avatar
It'll affect the seeing, so it doesn't hurt. I'm not even close to a professional at this though, so if it's clear and no rain forecast I'm most likely going to image no matter what the seeing or jet stream is doing.
Claudio Tenreiro avatar
Claudio Tenreiro avatar
Yes Indeed, I do believe it causes problems in your seeing, I use meteoblue, here is an example of my region: https://www.meteoblue.com/es/tiempo/outdoorsports/seeing/curic%c3%b3_chile_3892870 
CS!
PS: If you take very long exposures, I try to do within nights of similar jet streams. At least for me, seeing do affect the results, and my region is not very good.
Ruediger avatar
Ruediger avatar
Hello all,
also a good page (advatage it is animated and allows many parameters): https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/winkel3=17.70,50.01,1383

LookSpaceThings avatar
LookSpaceThings avatar
Ruediger:
Hello all,
also a good page (advatage it is animated and allows many parameters): https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/winkel3=17.70,50.01,1383


I have seen this website before but I can only see the current condition. Do you know if it is possible to see the forecast for the next 48h?
Claudio Tenreiro avatar
Claudio Tenreiro avatar
LookSpaceThings:
Do you know if it is possible to see the forecast for the next 48h


Not sure but, under control there is calendar, and you can change the Date.
Ruediger avatar
Ruediger avatar
LookSpaceThings:
Ruediger:
Hello all,
also a good page (advatage it is animated and allows many parameters): https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/winkel3=17.70,50.01,1383


I have seen this website before but I can only see the current condition. Do you know if it is possible to see the forecast for the next 48h?

That's why I have added the control panel in the screenshot. There you can change the time / date. Did you try that out?

John Hayes avatar
John Hayes avatar
As most of you know, the issue with the jet stream is how it affects seeing but it might not be as simple as it might seem at first.  In regions where the jet stream is in relatively straight line with little variation in speed across the flow, it may not have a large effect on seeing.  The most turbulence is generated in regions of wind shear in the jet stream and turbulence is what caused poor seeing.  These regions include where the wind is most sharply changing direction or where it shears between two velocity profiles across the direction of flow.  For those of us who fly above FL300, you quickly learn that it’s the variation in the wind vector that causes a poor ride (due to turbulence).  The other thing that’s hard to see by looking at a single altitude is how the wind speed changes with altitude—and that can be another indicator of turbulence.  Combining jet stream charts with high altitude turbulence charts (from aviation weather sources) is probably the best way to predict seeing conditions but in general, it’s not all that easy.


John
Well Written Helpful Insightful Engaging
Scott Lockwood avatar
Scott Lockwood avatar
I use this site. Goes out 4 days. White is good, Green is bad.
Jet Stream Winds at 300 mb (~30,000 ft) (GFS 10-day Forecast)
(weatherstreet.com)

Scott
Brian Puhl avatar
Brian Puhl avatar
Things like this are why I choose wider field photography. Both my scopes are now 550-600mm.    You still get very crisp images, and you don't care much what the jet stream is doing.  As long as there's no major surface wind, you'll always guide just fine. 

At one point I shot at 920mm which is pushing my seeing conditions… But I was always fighting something, jet stream, wind, guiding, etc.     

Wider is just stress free imaging. Also, I take meteoblue with a grain of salt, I don't think its very accurate.
Helpful Insightful Respectful Engaging
Baronvonsmoogle avatar
Baronvonsmoogle avatar
Brian Puhl:
Also, I take meteoblue with a grain of salt, I don't think its very accurate.


I feel the same way about Clear Outside!  It seems to be getting worse. a year or so ago it wasn't bad but now, it can be 100% clear horizon to horizon, and CO will be saying it is 90% clouds.
Brian Puhl avatar
Brian Puhl avatar
Brian Puhl:
Also, I take meteoblue with a grain of salt, I don't think its very accurate.


I feel the same way about Clear Outside!  It seems to be getting worse. a year or so ago it wasn't bad but now, it can be 100% clear horizon to horizon, and CO will be saying it is 90% clouds.



I don't really trust any of the cloud forecasts.   I use GOES east satellite to estimate cloud conditions.   I only use meteo blue as a rough estimate of seeing conditions due to winds aloft.