As sunset approached after my Daytime Occultation of Venus imaging session on Saturday, 12 December, the sky was mostly cloudy with thin clouds and the wind was still gusting. But I decided to open the observatory for a short session to observe the planets Jupiter and Saturn.

Open: Saturday, 12 December 2020, 1730 MST Temperature: 59°F

Session: 1569 Conditions: Mostly cloudy, thin clouds, windy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 50mm eyepiece
2" 14mm 100° eyepiece
Focal Reducer

Camera:
D850 DSLR

1734 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Jupiter and 3 moons, 102X. Viewed Saturn, 102X.

Switched to the 50mm eyepiece and viewed the planets, 49X. Also viewed the planets using the 14mm 100° eyepiece, 174X. At 174X, I could see all four of the Galilean Moons at Jupiter. The planets, which were separated by 58' 13.7", were not quite in the same field-of-view (FOV) in any of my wide-field eyepieces. They will be closer together on upcoming nights and will appear in the same eyepiece FOV in the 12" telescope.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + focal reducer. Both planets were visible in the camera FOV, as seen in this 1/60sec, ISO 1000, image. Jupiter is overexposed to show the four Galilean Moons (two are very close together just left of Jupiter).

Click or tap on image for larger version

1805 MST: viewed Jupiter (with 3 moons visible) and Saturn, 12x50 binoculars. Nice view of both planets.

Viewed Mars, 102X.

1810 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Saturday, 12 December 2020, 1818 MST Temperature: 52°F

Session Length: 0h 48m Conditions: Mosty cloudy, thin clouds, windy

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