Open: Saturday, 17 April 2021, 1841 MST Temperature: 80°F

Session: 1624 Conditions: Clear, breezy

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

Camera:
iPhone 11 Pro Max
D850 DSLR

After opening the observatory I relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1856 MST: sunset.

1915 MST: back inside the observatory. Calm now.

1916 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the Moon, 102X

Took this handheld iPhone 11 Pro Max photo of the Moon, afocal 102X, using NightCap Camera (ISO 32, 1/350sec, 1X lens).

Viewed the Moon, 174X. Awesome views using the Explore Scientific 2" 14mm 100° eyepiece.

Took these handheld iPhone 11 Pro Max photos of the Moon, afocal 174X, using NightCap Camera (ISO 250, 1/120sec and 1/390sec, 1X lens).

Then did more lunar observing, 174X.

1930 MST: slewed to NGC4565 (Needle Galaxy). It was not yet visible in the twilight sky.

Prepared the D850 DSLR for prime focus imaging using the Explore Scientific 2" UHC filter.

1940-2000 MST: relaxed on the bench while waiting for the sky to get darker.

2001 MST: viewed NGC4565, 102X and 174X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + UHC filter, focused on the star Arcturus, and locked the 12" primary mirror.

Slewed to NGC4565.

2012 MST: StarLock ON.

After doing framing test images of each object, took six StarLock autoguided, 5-minutes, ISO 12800, exposures of each galaxy and stacked the images (effective exposure 30 minutes).

NGC4565 (Needle Galaxy) and NGC4562


M104 (Sombrero Galaxy, cropped)

2132 MST: StarLock OFF.

Viewed M104 (Sombrero Galaxy).

2144 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Saturday, 17 April 2021, 2156 MST Temperature: 57°F

Session Length: 3h 15m Conditions: Clear

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