Sometimes, you just have to make do...

The season is getting ready to begin, and soon, as the darkness draws in ever earlier in the evening, astrophotographers around the Northern Hemisphere will begin to dust off their gear (if they haven't already). I, of course, am no exception....except that I'm about 150 miles from most of my kit!

Not to be deterred though, I've decided to go for something a little different this evening, and have, against all odds, decided to have a go at filming clouds. Yes, that's right, clouds. Those pesky, high level, "you-won't-be-looking-at-naff-all-through-me-mate", nebulous wispy blighters that normally mess everything up. Well, they say that if you can't beat 'em, then you should join 'em.

In view of this then, I've tried to capture the motion of the clouds in front of the rotational pole of the celestial sphere, so, in the brief windows amid the gloom, it's just possible to make out the gentle turn of the Earth as our planet revolves around its heavenly axis. The clouds themselves, too, carry a certain beauty, which believe you me is a tough thing for an astronomer to say!

Enough guff though - here's tonight's effort. 100x thirty second exposures, each separated by about 5 seconds, stitched into around 15 seconds of video, including titles. Enjoy!