Observation tipps
- The temperature at night can drop suddenly, so you should be prepared for this.
- Eat enough food before a night of observation, because without energy your body has nothing to heat.
- Dress warmly in good time so that the heat is/remains stored.
- Dress in what is known as an onion layer system, i.e. several layers of clothing that are designed to work together, transporting moisture to the outside but keeping heat inside. The outermost layer should also be windproof. Openings at the neck, ankles and wrists should be avoided.
- Thick (insulated) shoe soles. The cold comes from below, a thick shoe sole protects you from the cold for a long time. Once your feet are cold, you can usually wrap them up. So-called moon boots often help you through the night.
- Put on gloves and a hat in good time.
- Beware of the advice in sports shops. Functional clothing does provide a certain amount of warmth, but what is usually ignored is that you will usually be standing motionless for hours(!)! Functional clothing usually only keeps you really warm if you are also moving (so a thin layer cannot keep you warm enough if you are not moving...).
- Temperature specifications are very helpful and should be handled in the same way as with a mount or tripod etc., always one size better - i.e. the colder the specification, the longer you will be kept warm!
- Everyone's body behaves differently, so there is no single best advice or even clothing, so it's best to work out for yourself how quickly you get cold outside and then dress accordingly.
- If you invite friends to go stargazing or organise observation nights at observatories, then please inform your friends/visitors in good time, because 99.9% of them don't think about the fact that it gets cold at night. Sounds strange, but it's true.
