Open: Sunday, 21 May 2023, 1853 MST Temperature: 80°F

Session: 1870 Conditions: Mostly clear

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

Camera:
iPhone 13 Pro Max
D850 DSLR

1901 MST: Dome OFF.

1903-1918 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1922 MST: Sunset (time approximate due to clouds along the western horizon).

Prepared the D850 DSLR for imaging.

1926 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the crescent Moon, 102X. Took this interesting handheld iPhone 13 Pro Max afocal 102X photo of the Moon using NightCap Camera (ISO 34, 1/120sec, 1X lens). The bright spot is an artifact from the bright sky.

I then viewed Venus, 102X.

Slewed to NGC3621 (galaxy), low in the southern sky. It would be my first Herschel 400 galaxies imaging target once the sky was dark enough. It was not yet visible in the bright twilight sky.

1937 MST: As seen in this iPhone photo, I relaxed on the bench while enjoying the view of the western sky. Venus is at the top of the photo with the crescent Moon showing Earthshine near the middle.

2030 MST: Back inside the observatory.

2032 MST: High Precision ON.

Viewed NGC3621 (galaxy), 102X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus, focused on Regulus, locked the telescope mirror, and slewed back to NGC3621.

2041 MST: StarLock ON.

Began imaging NGC3621. Due to its low altitude in the southern sky, StarLock autoguiding was erratic. I had to increase the ISO setting to ISO 12800 and shorten the exposure to 2 minutes to get a good image.

NGC3621 (galaxy)

Clouds were becoming a nuisance and interferred with the rest of my imaging. Since the StarLock autoguider could not find a guide star to lock on to when imaging NGC3607 and NGC3608, I had to increase the ISO to ISO 12800 for this 10 seconds exposure.

NGC3607 (galaxy, bottom) and NGC3608 (galaxy, top)

The clouds cooperated for this StarLock autoguided image of NGC3626, 5 minutes, ISO 3200.

NGC3626 (galaxy)

I slewed to NGC3628 (Sarah's Galaxy) but had to wait several minutes for the SLOWLY moving clouds to get out of the way. I was finally able to get this StarLock autoguided, 5 minutes, ISO 3200, image.

NGC3628 (Sarah's Galaxy)

Clouds were a nuisance while trying to image this next Herschel 400 galaxy, but I was able to eventually get this StarLock autoguided, 5 minutes, ISO 3200, image.

NGC3640 (galaxy)

I then began trying to image NGC3655 (galaxy), but the clouds had increased by this time. I gave up doing any more imaging.

2213 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Sunday, 21 May 2023, 2228 MST Temperature: 68°F

Session Length: 3h 35m Conditions: Partly cloudy

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