Mostly cloudy skies returned on Friday, 3 September 2021, and continued until late afternoon on Saturday, 4 September. Although there were some cumulus clouds along with high cirrus clouds, I decided to open the observatory.

Open: Saturday, 4 September 2021, 1817 MST Temperature: 84°F

Session: 1659 Conditions: Mostly clear, cirrus & some cumulus clouds

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 2X Powermate
1.25" 3X TeleXtender

Camera:
iPhone 11 Pro Max
D850 DSLR

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

While I was relaxing, a quail family came to visit. I took this short video using the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

 

 

 

 

As sunset approached the sky looked like this (east, west, respectively).

1846 MST: sunset.

1848 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the planet Venus, 102X and 203X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + 2X Powermate + 3X TeleXtender. Did some imaging of Venus. This is a 1/250sec, ISO 640, (black-and-white) image (cropped).

I tried imaging the planet Mercury, but it was obscured by clouds.

1911 MST: viewed the planet Saturn and two of its moons, 102X. The view was hampered by clouds.

Returned to the bench to watch the stars come out and to monitor the clouds.

1918 MST: Took this iPhone 11 Pro Max photo of the Summer Triangle and clouds high overhead using the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens).

Mouseover or tap on image for labels

1920 MST: Took this iPhone 11 Pro Max photo of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, low in the southeastern sky, and clouds using the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens).

Mouseover or tap on image for labels

1926 MST: viewed the open star cluster NGC6520, 102X. I had planned to image it this session, but clouds hampered the view.

1930 MST: decided to end the session due to the increasing cloud cover.

1931 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Saturday, 4 September 2021, 1945 MST Temperature: 79°F

Session Length: 1h 28m Conditions: Mostly cloudy, humidity 48%

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The next live in-person Star Party at Oracle State Park, our local IDA International Dark Sky Park, will be held Saturday, 11 September 2021. This will be the first in-person event at the Park in 18 months since the COVID-19 pandemic began. My autobiography Finding my Way to the Stars will be available for purchase and all proceeds will go to support the dark sky activities at the Park. I will be signing books too.

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