Cloudy skies returned on Saturday, 5 November 2022. The sky cleared on Sunday, 6 November, but I did not open the observatory that night. Monday, 7 November, was cloudy but the sky was forecast to be clear Tuesday morning, 8 November, for the Total Lunar Eclipse. The eclipse would occur during session 1800 in Cassiopeia Observatory.

Open: Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 0115 MST Temperature: 53°F

Session: 1800 Conditions: Clear

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

Camera:
D850 DSLR
iPhone 13 Pro Max

SYNCed observatory clock and D850 DSLR time.

0121 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the Moon, 102X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus of the 12" telescope. Locked the mirror.

0131 MST: Moon already in penumbral eclipse (1/360sec, ISO 100).

0135 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench to observe the eclipse. Viewed the Moon, 12x50 binoculars.

0142 MST: There was some eastern limb darkening as First Contact approached.

I imaged the Moon from First Contact (0209 MST) to Fourth Contact (0549 MST) using the D850 DSLR (ISO 100; partial phases 1/360sec or 1/160sec, Totality 4 seconds). I also observed the Moon using 12x50 binoculars. The view was pretty during Totality with many stars visible in the binoculars.

0359 MST: Maximum Eclipse.

Click or tap on image for larger version

Took a Sky Quality reading at Maximum Eclipse.

0403 MST: Took these handheld sky photos using the iPhone 13 Pro Max Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens). Cassiopeia is on the right in the top photo and Orion, Taurus, and the Pleiades are visible in the bottom photo.

0553 MST: Viewed the Moon after Fourth Contact, 102X.

0555 MST: LX600 OFF.

This is a montage of the Total Lunar Eclipse from First Contact to Fourth Contact.

Click or tap on image for larger version

Close: Tuesday, 8 November 2022, 0608 MST Temperature: 47°F

Session Length: 1h 53m Conditions: Clear, SQM 20.97 (Max Eclipse)

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