Monday, 3 April 2023, was clear but VERY windy. That afternoon I resumed teaching my Model Rocket class at the Oracle Mountain Vista School. I had last taught it in 2018 and 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic kept us from conducting the classes 2020-22. The class will continue for the rest of this school year. I didn't open the observatory Monday night due to the strong wind. Tuesday, 4 April, was also clear but windy. Wednesday, 5 April, the sky cleared and the winds calmed down.

I saw this little bunny as I walked to the observatory.

Open: Wednesday, 5 April 2023, 1832 MST Temperature: 52°F

Session: 1848 Conditions: Mostly clear

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

Camera:
D850 DSLR
iPhone 13 Pro Max

1837 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

1841 MST: Viewed gibbous Venus, 102X.

1849 MST: Sunset.

1850 MST: Viewed Mercury, very low in the western sky, 102X. About a half-phase.

1855 MST: Slewed to M42 (Orion Nebula). No nebulosity was visible in the bright twilight sky, but the Trapezium stars were visible, 102X.

Prepared the D850 DSLR for imaging of the Moon later.

1911 MST: Slewed the Moon, which was not yet above the hill to the east.

1913 MST: Parked the LX600, LX600 OFF. Took a break while waiting for the Moon to rise over the hill.

1942 MST: Back in the observatory. The Moon was rising above the hill. LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the nearly Full Moon, 102X. A very slight terminator was visible. The Moon would be precisely full phase at 2134 MST.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus.

1952 MST: Took this D850 DSLR image of the Full Moon (1/125sec, ISO 100, White Balance Auto).

This is the same image of the Moon, but with color saturation increased (a lot) to bring out colors on the Moon to show different mineral compositions on the Moon's surface.

Viewed the Full Moon, 102X.

2002 MST: Took this handheld iPhone 13 Pro Max photo using the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens) showing the Full Moon projected by the telescope onto the observatory dome.

2005 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Wednesday, 5 April 2023, 2013 MST Temperature: 50°F

Session Length: 1h 41m Conditions: Clear

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