----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mauna Loa Solar Observatory Observer's Log ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tue Aug 18 17:01:11 GMT 2026 Year:26 Doy:230 Observer: mcotter Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 17:02:45 GMT 2026 MLSO Current Weather Timestamp (UTC): 2026-08-18 16:59:00 Temperature : 47.35 deg F Dew Point : 35.46 deg F Pressure : 681.05 mbar Wind Speed : 4.92 mph Wind Direction : 195.0 deg Skies: Patches of Cirrus clouds scattered across various areas of the sky, but mostly to the north and east. The sky overhead appears clear. ___end___ KCOR COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 17:13:50 GMT 2026 Kcor: There are patches of Cirrus clouds in the sky where the Sun is currently located. No observations can be done at this time. Towards zenith the sky appears clear, so I will try observing again as the Sun gets higher in the sky. ___end___ ** GENERAL PROBLEM REPORTED BY mcotter ** : Tue Aug 18 17:50:45 GMT 2026 When moving the orange dome ladder this morning I noticed a small puddle of water beneath where the ladder was parked. Standing back and looking at the southeast area of the dome wall there were signs indicating that the water may have run down that area of the wall from the dome sill. ___end___ Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 18:19:22 GMT 2026 MLSO Current Weather Timestamp (UTC): 2026-08-18 18:11:00 Temperature : 55.8 deg F Dew Point : 34.43 deg F Pressure : 681.5 mbar Wind Speed : 4.47 mph Wind Direction : 13.5 deg Skies: The Sun has passed through the area of the sky that has the long wisps of Cirrus clouds, but it is now in an area where there appears to be a layer of Cirrostratus clouds. The sky appears bright and has a thin translucent covering of Cirrostratus clouds making the sky too bright to observe through. This may burn off as the Sun gets higher in the sky. ___end___ KCOR COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 18:21:20 GMT 2026 Kcor: The sky has a thin translucent layer of Cirrostratus clouds in the viewing area making it too bright to observe at this time. I will try again as the Sun gets higher in the sky. ___end___ KCOR COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 19:00:30 GMT 2026 Kcor: The sky is quite bright and there is now a rainbow halo around the Sun. The sky remains much too bright to observe at this time. ___end___ Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 20:43:55 GMT 2026 MLSO Current Weather Timestamp (UTC): 2026-08-18 20:38:00 Temperature : 60.48 deg F Dew Point : 38.1 deg F Pressure : 682.07 mbar Wind Speed : 6.71 mph Wind Direction : 34.3 deg Skies: A large patch of Altocumulus clouds have formed over the observatory and additional Orographic clouds are coming up over the summit of Maunaloa to the south. ___end___ Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 20:46:56 GMT 2026 Skies: The Altocumulus clouds that have formed over the observatory are increasing and are becoming lenticular is shape. ___end___ Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 21:31:18 GMT 2026 MLO Current Weather Timestamp (UTC): 2026-08-18 21:17:00 Temperature : 60.85 deg F Dew Point : 43.43 deg F Pressure : 681.99 mbar Wind Speed : 16.33 mph Wind Direction : 27.2 deg Skies: There are now quite a lot of Orthographic clouds coming up over the top of Maunaloa to the south and also now coming up from the west. The lenticular clouds have dissipated, there is now a translucent layer of Cirrostratus clouds completely covering the entire sky. Large wisps of Cirrus clouds still remain in many parts of the sky. Based on existing sky conditions, it is doubtful that observations will be made today. ___end___ Weather COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 21:46:13 GMT 2026 MLSO Current Weather Timestamp (UTC): 2026-08-18 21:41:00 Temperature : 60.39 deg F Dew Point : 42.61 deg F Pressure : 681.93 mbar Wind Speed : 10.07 mph Wind Direction : 25.6 deg Skies: Large bands of high altitude Cirrus clouds have moved in from the west . With the clouds that were already present have made the sky completely overcast. ___end___ GENERAL COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 21:48:32 GMT 2026 Dome closed: The dome windows and dome have been closed at this time due to poor sky conditions. Before moving the dome orange ladder to it's normal parking spot, I mopped the floor and cleaned up the water that was found earlier today. ___end___ GENERAL COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 22:53:57 GMT 2026 End Of Day: Poor sky conditions persisted all day with clouds scattered at different elevations across all areas of the sky. In the late morning large bands of Cirrus clouds came in from the west, and along with the large amount of Orographic clouds coming up from lower elevations made the sky entirely overcast. No data today. ___end___ Logger COMMENT BY mcotter: Tue Aug 18 22:54:07 GMT 2026 Log closed ONSITE STAFF: mcotter ___end___