Open: Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 1954 MST Temperature: 78°F

Session: 1526 Conditions: Clear

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

Camera:
D850 DSLR
iPhone 11 Pro Max

2000 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Jupiter, 4 moons, and Great Red Spot, 102X. Viewed Saturn and 3 moons, 102X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + 4X Powermate. Did single frame photographs and 1080p/60fps video recordings (45 seconds) at various exposure settings of Jupiter and Saturn. The single frame photographs were better than the stacked images.

Jupiter


Saturn

Removed the camera and viewed Jupiter and Saturn, 406X.

2041 MST: viewed the Moon, 102X. Slight terminator visible.

2045 MST: began relaxing on the observatory patio bench while waiting for the Moon to rise higher in the sky.

2048 MST: took this handheld iPhone 11 Pro Max photograph of the nearly full Moon projected onto the Cassiopeia Observatory dome from the 12" LX600 telescope. At the upper right is the constellation of Cassiopeia. The iOS Camera app in Night Mode (3 seconds, 1X lens) was used for the photo.

2131 MST: back inside the observatory.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + focal reducer for this image of the Moon (1/500sec, ISO 100).

2145 MST: viewed Mars, 102X and 406X. Nice views at times during moments of good seeing.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + 4X Powermate and did some single frame photographs and 1080p/60fps video recordings (45 seconds) at various exposure settings. The best image of the night was a stack of 2745 video frames (1/200sec, ISO 1600).

The image shows the North Polar Hood (top), some cloud at the right limb, large dark surface areas, and the bright white South Polar Ice Cap.

2159 MST: done imaging.

Viewed Mars, 406X and 102X.

2209 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 2221 MST Temperature: 75°F

Session Length: 2h 27m Conditions: Clear

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