Open: Wednesday, 25 October 2017, 1808 MST Temperature: 77°F

Session: 1156 Conditions: Clear, hazy

Equipment Used:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
1.25" 40mm eyepiece
1.25" 15mm eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 8 Plus

1815 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Saturm 102X.

Next, viewed the Messier globular clusters M2 and M30, 102X. I would image both of these later this session.

Viewed the Moon, 102X and 61X.

Mounted the iPhone 8 Plus on the 40mm eyepiece using the Levenhuk adapter. Took this afocal 61X image of the Moon using the iOS app NightCap Camera:

Slewed to M2 (globular cluster) and SYNCed the AutoStar. Switched to 163X. The view of M2 was nice. Mounted the iPhone on the 15mm eyepiece.

1840 MST: StarLock ON. Took StarLock autoguided iPhone 8 Plus images of M2 and M30 globular clusters using NightCap Camera (Long Exposure, Light Boost, ISO 8000, 1/3sec, 1 minute exposure).

M2


M30

I discovered during post-processing that autoguiding was not very accurate. Will redo these images on a future session.

Slewed to the star Altair and SYNCed the AutoStar. Slewed to M71 (globular cluster). Needed to wait a few minutes for the object to clear the observatory dome. 1900 MST: StarLock OFF.

1935 MST: StarLock ON. Did this StarLock autoguided iPhone 8 Plus image of M71 globular cluster using NightCap Camera (Long Exposure, Light Boost, ISO 8000, 1/3sec, 1 minute exposure.

M71

Autoguiding was better for this image.

1939 MST: StarLock OFF.

Viewed M71 (globular cluster), 102X.

Then viewed the open clusters M52, M103, and the Double Cluster, 102X. I plan to image these with the iPhone on the next session.

1948 MST: LX600 OFF.

Began closing the observatory after a long day of activities.

Close: Wednesday, 25 October 2017, 2000 MST Temperature: 68°F

Session Length: 1h 52m Conditions: Clear

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