Observing Session: Planets, Deep Sky Objects

Observing Session: Planets, Deep Sky Objects

Posted: 30 May 2021

Open: Saturday, 29 May 2021, 1849 MST
Temperature: 87°F

Session: 1642
Conditions: Mostly clear, breezy

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

Camera:
None

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

1927 MST: sunset.

1928 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

1930 MST: viewed the planet Venus, 102X. Still a mostly full disk phase.

1931 MST: viewed the planet Mercury, 102X and 271X. The thin crescent phase was visible.

1940 MST: Kissing Bug #1 terminated.

1942 MST: back to the bench. Calm now.

2002 MST: viewed Mercury, 102X.

Then viewed the planet Mars, 102X. A small disk was visible.

Returned to relaxing on the bench to watch the stars come out.

2030 MST: back inside the observatory.

This session was strictly an observing session. Viewed the following, 102X: NGC3115 (Spindle Galaxy), NGC3377 (galaxy), NGC4261 (galaxy), M68 (globular cluster), Centaurus A (galaxy), M4 (globular cluster), M13 (globular cluster), M92 (globular cluster), M57 (Ring Nebula), Epsilon Lyrae (Double Double Star), Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC3628 Sarah's Galaxy), M104 (Sombrero Galaxy), Omega Centauri (globular cluster), M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (Cigar Galaxy), and Mizar (double star).

2118 MST: Kissing Bug #2 terminated.

2125 MST: began observing some galaxy trios, 102X: NGC5150/5152/5153 (Mag. +12.6/12.5/12.3), NGC5560/5566/5569 (Mag. +12.4/10.6/13.2), NGC5574/5576/5577 (Mag. +12.4/11.0/12.2), and NGC5898/5903/ESO514-3 (Mag. +11.4/11.1/13.3; ESO514-3 was not observed). This completed my observing of some galaxies in Miles Paul's "Atlas of Galaxy Trios" that I began in September 2020.

2145 MST: LX600 OFF.

Kissing Bug #3 escaped.

2157 MST: took a Sky Quality reading.

Close: Saturday, 29 May 2021, 2200 MST
Temperature: 72°F

Session Length: 3h 11m
Conditions: Clear, SQM 21.27

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