Observatory operations
Weather, Night & Moon
The sky is part of the management problem. Weather changes observing productivity, facility wear, visual conditions, solar output, and emergency risk. The lunar cycle adds another layer of night-sky quality.
| Weather | Intensity | Damage | Challenge chance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear NightNo major weather threat. Challenge frequency is zero. | 0.00–0.15 | 0–0 | 0.0% | Baseline weather type. |
| RainRain reduces observing and can wear facilities. | 0.25–0.50 | 1–5 | 1.0% | Mostly operational penalty, low challenge frequency. |
| ThunderstormHeavy rain and lightning can trigger power-grid repair challenges. | 0.51–1.00 | 8–22 | 25.0% | Evaluated during severe weather days. |
| High WindWind stress increases wear and can trigger emergency operations. | 0.45–0.95 | 3–12 | 6.0% | Useful for future dome or enclosure challenge events. |
| Winter SnowWinter-only snow weather. Uses snowflake visuals instead of rain drops. | 0.18–0.85 | 1–10 | 3.0% | Phase 2 only considers this weather during winter periods. Uses its own snow ambience and never reuses rain or thunder audio. |
| Dust StormWind-driven dust event restricted to desert and arid environments. | 0.20–0.95 | 3–15 | 3.0% | Dust intensity scales penalties. Optical systems and solar generation are affected most strongly. |
Day and night
Optical observing is strongest during useful night hours. Some directives, especially Solar Astronomy, intentionally make daytime science valuable instead of treating the day as downtime.
Lunar cycle
The Moon follows a roughly 29.53-day cycle. Bright lunar phases increase skyglow and can reduce optical research efficiency. Lunar and Planetary Science is designed to turn bright-Moon periods into useful science, while radio work is comparatively insensitive to lunar brightness.
Weather awareness
The Weather Station gates the live weather readout and supports research/mission prerequisites. Forecasting technologies can improve the value of advance warning.