Open: Wednesday, 10 October 2018, 1803 MST Temperature: 82°F

Session: 1290 Conditions: Mostly clear

Equipment Used:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
2" 2X Powermate

Camera:
iPhone 8 Plus
D850 DSLR

1807 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

1810 MST: viewed the crescent Moon, 102X and 81X.

Mounted the iPhone 8 Plus on the 2" 30mm eyepiece using the Levenhuk adapter. Took this afocal 81X photo of the Moon using NightCap Camera (ISO 22, 1/150sec):

1820 MST: set up the live trap to try once again to capture the packrat that has been visiting the observatory. Clouds were now increasing.

As I was viewing the Moon with the 24mm and 30mm eyepieces I was glad that I had cleaned them earlier in the day. Much nicer views without the spots.

1824 MST: the Moon and the planet Jupiter to the left of the Moon looked pretty in the southwestern sky. This handheld photo was taken with the D850 DSLR, f/2.8, 1/13sec, ISO 200, FL 70mm:

1828 MST: viewed Jupiter and four moons, 102X. Saturn also showed four moons, 102X. Viewed Mars, 102X. The South Polar Cap and a dark surface area were visible. None of the planets had a very good view due to not very good seeing.

1840 MST: Earthshine was now visible on the Moon. Handheld D850 DSLR photo, f/2.8, 1/20sec, ISO 800, FL 70mm

1848 MST: viewed Earthshine with the 12" telescope, 102X. This iPhone photo with NightCap Camera (ISO 2000, 1/3sec), afocal 81X, shows the Earthshine:

1900 MST: viewed M13 (Great Globular Cluster in Hercules), 102X.

1906 MST: began an AutoStar tour of Deep Sky Objects in the constellation of Andromeda, 102X: M110, M32, M31, and NGC891 (galaxies), NGC752 (open cluster), and NGC7662 (Blue Snowball Nebula, planetary nebula).

Then viewed NGC7662 (Blue Snowball Nebula) at 203X. I decided to image NGC7662 at prime focus + 2X Powermate with the D850 DSLR.

This is a StarLock autoguided, 30 seconds, ISO 1000, White Balance 4000K, image:

As I ended imaging of the Blue Snowball clouds were in most of the sky.

Took a quick look at M11 (Wild Duck Cluster), 102X.

2000 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Wednesday, 10 October 2018, 2011 MST Temperature: 63°F

Session Length: 2h 08m Conditions: Mostly cloudy

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