Wednesday night, 8 January 2020, was clear but windy. Thursday, 9 January, was cloudy. Friday, 10 January, dawned cloudy but the sky began clearing mid-day.

Open: Friday, 10 January 2020, 1804 MST Temperature: 54°F

Session: 1423 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector
Focal Reducer

Camera:
D850 DSLR
iPhone 11 Pro Max

I set up the iPhone 11 Pro Max on a camera tripod outside of the observatory. It would be used later to photograph the Full Moon projected onto the SkyShed POD observatory dome.

1820 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the planet Venus, 102X. A gibbous phase was visible.

I tweaked the alignment of the two finderscopes.

I mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + 4X Powermate + Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector. This is Venus, 1/60sec, ISO 200 (cropped from full-frame image).

The Full Moon had now risen over the hill to the east. Took this prime focus + focal reducer photo (1/320sec, ISO 100).

Click or tap on image for larger version

1903 MST: removed the camera and did some lunar observing, 102X. A very slight terminator was visible.

I then went outside of the observatory and began preparing to photograph the Full Moon projected onto the observatory dome using the 2" 24mm UWA eyepiece (102X). This photo was taken with the tripod-mounted iPhone 11 Pro Max using the Camera app in "Night Mode" (30 seconds). Many stars were also captured in the photo.

I removed the iPhone from the tripod and took this handheld photo of the "Moon on Dome" with the constellation of Cassiopeia high over Cassiopeia Observatory. Night Mode was used (3 seconds).

1929 MST: final look at the Full Moon, 102X.

1932 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Friday, 10 January 2020, 1941 MST Temperature: 39°F

Session Length: 1h 37m Conditions: Clear

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