Short Session of Planet Observing and Moon Photography
Posted: 12 May 2014
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Opened: Monday, 12 May 2014, 1822 MST Temperature: 84°F |
Session: 683 Conditions: Clear, slight breeze |
1931 MST: viewed Mercury, low in west, 83X, 222X, and 444X. Seeing not steady enough for 444X, but gibbous phase was visible.
At 1838 MST, took this D7000 DSLR photo of the waxing gibbous moon rising behind the hill to the southeast and through a tree near the observatory, f/32, 1/125sec, ISO 400, 105mm (slight crop):
1844 MST: viewed Jupiter, 222X. No moons visible against a still bright sky.
1845 MST: viewed Mars, 222X. Seeing not good, but the North Polar Cap was visible. The planet's orange color was very striking against the bright blue sky background about 30 minutes before sunset. 1857 MST: possibly viewed a sunset cloud near the Martian equator, 222X.
Took another photograph of the moon through the tree at 1912 MST, f/32, 1/30sec, ISO 400, 105mm (slight crop):
1917 MST: sunset. Seeing still not good at Mars.
1921 MST: slewed to the moon and viewed it through the tree, 83X. Began setting up for prime focus imaging using the D7000 DSLR. Added the focal reducer. Then began waiting for the moon to rise above the tree. At 1933 MST, took this photo of the moon, 1/250sec, ISO 100 (cropped from the full-frame image):
Then did some lunar observing, 83X and 222X. The moon was too low for good seeing but there were some interesting sights along the terminator.
1942 MST: took a quick look at Mars, 222X. Seeing still not good. 1945 MST: quick look at Jupiter, 222X and 83X. Three moons were visible. Seeing not good at Jupiter either.
This was a planned short session. Began closing up.
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Closed: Monday, 12 May 2014, 1958 MST Temperature: 66°F |
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