As per usual – I do not image during June as not only are the nights too short, but also it never really gets dark enough to be able to take good quality images. However, having said that, I might just break my rule this year as we have had such a terrible start to the year weather-wise.
June is a month to thoroughly vacuum out the obsevatory and dust everything down. Make sure all your backup batteries are fully charged and your telescope optics are nice and clean. If you have a permanent observatory computer, bring it indoors (unless you have an outdoor Internet link) and get all the software and security updates loaded up. Also (lightly) vacuum the air inlets of the computer if they appear dusty. Does the observatory sealing round the base need attention, and do the dome rotation or sliding roof wheels need oiling and cleaning?? Does your fibreglass dome need a good car wash to remove the fine green film of algae, or does your shed-observatory need a fresh coat of preservative.
Now is the month to get all those niggling jobs done that you consistently put off for the other 11 months. I won’t wish you clear skies as that will simply add to the frustration of this month – instead I wish you happy cleaning and upgrading.
