Open: Friday, 25 September 2020, 1805 MST Temperature: 84°F

Session: 1522 Conditions: Clear, some smoke in western sky

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 14mm 100° eyepiece
2" 9mm 100° eyepiece
2" 4X Powermate

Camera:
D850 DSLR

After opening the observatory I set up the D850 DSLR with a 150-600mm lens on the observatory patio. Some smoke from the California wildfires is visible in the photo.

1812 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the waxing gibbous Moon, 102X.

1818 MST: sunset.

Viewed the Moon, 174X. The Straight Wall was visible.

1820-1845 MST: relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

Did some lunar observing, 174X and 271X. Lots of nice views.

1847 MST: while observing along the lunar terminator at 271X I saw a satellite appear at the terminator and move across the dark side.

The crater Clavius was an interesting view. Two of the smaller craters inside the main crater had the tops of their rims illuminated by the rising Sun.

Viewed Jupiter and four moons, 174X and 271X. Then viewed Saturn, 174X and 271X. The views were good during brief moments of good seeing.

1857 MST: began imaging the Moon using the D850 DSLR with the 150-600mm lens. This cropped photo shows Saturn (f/5.6, 1/125sec, ISO 400, FL 250mm).

This Moon photo was cropped from the full-frame image (f/8, 1/200sec, ISO 100, FL 600mm).

Next, I mounted the D850 DSLR on the 12" telescope (focal length 2438mm) at prime focus + 4X Powermate (effective focal length 9752mm). Took these photos of the Straight Wall (1/250sec, ISO 4000) and Clavius Crater (1/200sec, ISO 6400). The two interior craters show their rims illuminated.

1922 MST: ended imaging.

Took a last look at the Moon, 102X.

1928 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Friday, 25 September 2020, 1939 MST Temperature: 79°F

Session Length: 1h 34m Conditions: Clear

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