During the hot afternoon on Sunday, 25 June 2023, I did some minor cleanup in the observatory. When I arrived in the observatory I noticed that the air conditioner hot air duct had become loose on the wall exhaust opening. It was too hot during the daytime to fix the connection, so I deferred that work until just before sunset.

Open: Sunday, 25 June 2023, 1812 MST Temperature: 95°F

Session: 1896 Conditions: Clear, hazy, breezy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
1.25" 9.7mm eyepiece
Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector
1.25" 26mm eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
2" 9mm 100° eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 13 Pro Max

1818 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Venus, 102X and 251X + Moon Filter + Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector (ADC).

Mounted the iPhone 13 Pro Max on the 1.25" 9.7mm eyepiece using the Levenhuk adapter. Took this afocal 251X + Moon Filter + ADC image of Venus taken with the NightCap Camera app (ISO 34, 1/180sec, 1X lens).

I then repaired the observatory air conditioner hot air duct. The plastic had become brittle since this hose was installed with the original air conditioner on 22 June 2017 and was now breaking apart in several places. I cut off several inches of the broken hose and applied some duct tape and a piece of wire to secure the hose to the exhaust outlet.

1857 MST: I then relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1928 MST: I moved the house front patio, a higher elevation, to take the following iPhone photos of the setting Sun in the hazy sky.

1938 MST: Sunset. Calm now.

1941-1953 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

Viewed Venus, 251X + Moon Filter + ADC and 94X.

I then viewed the First Quarter Moon, 94X and 81X.

Mounted the iPhone on the 2" 30mm eyepiece and took this afocal 81X image of the Moon using NightCap Camera (ISO 34, 1/2200sec, 1X lens).

Viewed Mare Imbrium, 271X. The view was very nice, so I mounted the iPhone on the 2" 9mm eyepiece for this NightCap Camera afocal 271X image (ISO 250, 1/340sec, 1X lens).

Did more lunar observing, 271X and 102X.

2016 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Sunday, 25 June 2023, 2027 MST Temperature: 84°F

Session Length: 2h 15m Conditions: Clear, hazy

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