iPhone Moon Report Date: 8 June 2011

I have decided that I didn't like the web page templates in Aperture. They were too limiting and did not allow embedded links to other web pages. So I have switched doing raw HTML (in BBEdit) for my reports.

7 June 2011, it was windy during the day but clear. There was no smoke here from any of the current Arizona fires. I opened the observatory at 1815 MST, 100°F. It was still very breezy. I delayed opening dome for awhile. I began working with the Southern Stars SkyWire telescope control cable for the iPhone, iPOD touch, and iPad. After the breezes calmed down a little bit, I opened the dome and powered on the telescope and began controlling the 8" LX200-ACF using my iPhone. I had previously used the Southern Stars SkiFi Wi-Fi adapter to control the telescope wirelessly from the iPhone. Tonight I was controlling it via the wired SkyWire connection. I will post a review once I have completed my testing.

I ended SkyWire testing at 1929 MST, and did some lunar observing. It was still breezy but the views along the terminator were nice. I then set up for some iPhone lunar imaging. I used the MX-1 iPhone Afocal Adapter This one is with a 26mm (77X) eyepiece:

I added the Meade Series 5000 3X TeleXtender (yielding 231X) for these:

At 1947 MST, viewed Saturn; one moon (Titan) was visible in the 26mm eyepiece. Seeing was better this night than it had been for the past several sessions. Switched to the Meade Series 5000 5.5mm eyepiece and I could easily see the Cassini Division in the rings on both sides of the planet's disk. Too bad it had to be a short night in the observatory.

Closed the observatory at 2005 MST, 78°F.

On my 5 June 2011 report, I discussed seeing and imaging Pluto with the 8" telescope. Aperture was not able to use an animated GIF image I had created showing the motion of Pluto between 3 June and 5 June. I present that image now:

I hope you like the new Report format. Still no "inline comments", so send me an email if you want to leave a comment for me.

Go to the previous report.

Return to the Cassiopeia Observatory Welcome Page.