Iram Now 30cm Under!!!
The bad weather continues to badden. The telescope has now been down for about 36 hours and the first night of the blue ellipticals project has saddly gone to waste. There is atleast a foot of snow now and the dish is covered in icicles (pictured). The forecast isn’t good for tomorrow either so our best hope for results will probably be in the 5-hour stretch just before we finish on Monday!
In other news, Senor Zorro came back last night, pining at the window for more of my hard earned champagne! I thought I better include this picture as it brings out the evil in his eyes. 
Galaxy Zoo 
Aww, actually I think Zorro looks very sweet. 😀 Thanks, great picture Daniel! 😉
It is nice to have a foxy friend as your companion for the New Year celebrations !
Bienvenido al Zoo Senor Zorro. (welcome to the zoo, fox!)
We seem to have acquired a mascot even if he does bring bad luck.
I spot as a trend here. Has Chris ever had a successful observing run?
30mm 2 days ago, 30cm yesterday, 30dm today? 30M tomorrow!!!
I was on the south face of Mulhacen last month for a few days when the weather wasn’t quite so gruesome. Please don’t forget to throw out some scraps of food for the fox, despite any protestations to the contrary. It’s a harsh life up there; there’s more snow on the mountain this winter than for the 5 previous winters, a timeframe that even this fox’s parents haven’t witnessed. Throw some food and watch the weather improve miraculously lol. Good luck.
Waveney
That’s not fair – I attended the very successful Galaxy Zoo Kitt Peak run. And I left after the third night, so this is all Daniel’s fault.
Graham – I think Zorro is well fed by the astronomers; I fed the fox ox (try saying that quickly ten times) on one evening.
Waveney – even I lost almost a whole run at IRAM to wind, and Chris wasn’t even in the same country!
Though I’m not saying not to feed the fox, just remember that foxes are a primary transmitter of infectious disease in the wild, particularly rabies. I say this as some who grew up in the bush of Eastern Canada.
He looks innocent to me. I’m sure the fox was framed and a predator from the top of the food chain who knew more about alcohol was enjoying it while you’re still cursing the poor beast. I’m taking his side 🙂
The link to the big version the 1st picture does not work. (http://www.galaxyzooblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/dsc00109_2.JPG)
I can just picture the biography coming up . . . “El Zorro de IRAM” or similar . . .
“Fox ox fox ox fx sox xxx xx”
Impossible Chris… 😉
Oh! I thought the snow was lovley but for you it wasent and I hated it on tuesday it was all ice no snow WAAAAAA