Why couldn't I find Uranus last night?

[Deep13]

Poll question: Why couldn't I find Uranus last night?

Yes, it's a funny name, but I really was looking for it. It is a tiny thing in the telescope. The color is supposed to give it away, a green-blue, but I am not very sensitive to color and it looks grey to me. The only real way to see it is to boost the magnification and look around the general area until I see something like a tiny disk rather than a pin-point of light. I found it before, but could not last night.

Poll result (10 votes)
Was indoors, could not see through wall.	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
Was looking into telescope with my closed eye.	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
Skunk humping leg got a little distracting after awhile.	(0 votes, 0%)	Vote
Perhaps cleaning telescope mirror with shoe polish not such a good idea.	(1 votes, 10%)	Vote
Was not using both hands or a flashlight.	(1 votes, 10%)	Vote
Uranus not mentioned in Bible, therefore, does not exist.	(2 votes, 20%)	Vote
Too much light and soot being emitted from stack of burning tires on lawn.	(1 votes, 10%)	Vote
Tired of passersby asking what I was looking for, then dropping pants.	(2 votes, 20%)	Vote
Eyepiece covered with tears from mourning over Pluto's demotion.	(1 votes, 10%)	Vote
Uranus does not work on Sundays or State holidays.	(2 votes, 20%)	Vote

[datasuspect]

1. a probe is supposed to penetrate uranus

sometime later this year.

[TOhioLiberal]

2. Oooooh....

...something to look forward to, yes?

[Deep13]

3. Really? No mention in Sky & Telescope.

Do you know anything about it like who is flying it (i.e. NASA, ESA etc.)?

[texas1928]

4. You weren't at my house looking.

[RedCloud]

5. Isn't Uranus a giant gas ball?

I saw that on Star Trek they were flying by Uranus looking for Kling ons!

[Deep13]

6. It is more of an ice giant than a gas giant.

It does contain noxious gas, though.

Mostly it is frozen ammonia among other nasty things.

[Fox Mulder]

7. Were you looking in the direction of Aquarius?

In the south?

Sky map: http://stardome.astronomy.com/stardome/default.aspx

[Deep13]

9. The truth is...

...with all the lunar glow and the nearby Garage Lamp Cluster, I could not find Aquarius or even Capricorn.

[trof]

8. myanus was in the shop over the week-end.

New points, plugs, and a lube job.
Runs like a top now.
Better luck next time.

[Mutley]

10. It's Columbus Day weekend

What kind of schmuck works on Columbus Day weekend?

[Deep13]

11. Somehow, it was Bill Clinton's fault.