Open: Wednesday, 30 December 2020, 1814 MST Temperature: 52°F

Session: 1581 Conditions: Mostly clear

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

Camera:
iPhone 11 Pro Max

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

The eastern sky was brightening from the rising one-day past Full Moon.

Viewed Saturn and three moons, 102X. Viewed Jupiter and four moons, 102X.

Although December was almost over, the Summer Triangle was still visible in the western sky. This handheld iPhone 11 Pro Max photo taken with the Camera app (Night Mode, 10 seconds, 1X lens) shows the stars of the Summer Triangle (and some clouds).

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1841 MST: viewed M1 (Crab Nebula), 102X. The nebula was faintly visible against the bright moonlit sky.

Then viewed some open star clusters: M35, M36, and M37, 102X.

I stepped outside of the observatory and took this handheld iPhone photo of Orion rising over the hill to the east using the Camera app (Night Mode, 10 seconds, 1X lens). The Pleiades star cluster is at the top with Hyades star cluster below it.

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1912 MST: viewed the Moon, 102X and 81X. A slight terminator was visible.

Took this handheld iPhone afocal 81X photo of the Moon using NightCap Camera (ISO 32, 1/710sec, 1X lens).

Viewed M42 (the Great Nebula in Orion), 102X. Some nebulosity was visible against the bright moonlit sky. The Trapezium stars were a nice view.

1923 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Wednesday, 30 December 2020, 1932 MST Temperature: 42°F

Session Length: 1h 18m Conditions: Mostly clear

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