Open: Wednesday, 6 December 2023, 1730 MST Temperature: 76°F

Session: 1932 Conditions: Mostly clear

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

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max
D850 DSLR

1735 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

1738 MST: Wi-Fi ON.

I tested the iOS app ScopeBoss, which is now available in the Apple App Store again following its transition to a new developer. I tested this version using my iPhone 15 Pro Max. After re-entering the WiFi adapter info into ScopeBoss and restarting the app, it connected to the telescope, imported the LX600 AutoStar menu tree, and worked fine to GOTO objects. Gslew also worked. It was great to have the app back!!!

1749 MST: Wi-Fi OFF.

Viewed Mercury, low in the southwestern sky and behind a tree, 102X. Viewed Saturn and its moon Titan, 102X. Viewed Jupiter and three Galilean Moons, 102X. The moon Io was in transit across the planet's disk with its shadow very easily seen.

I then prepared to view some more Barnard Objects dark nebulae.

1807 MST: High Precision ON.

Slewed to B370 and began waiting for the sky to get darker. Prepared the D850 DSLR for imaging.

1820 MST: I took this handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max photo of the eastern sky using the Camera app (Night Mode, 10 seconds, 1X lens). The constellation of Cassiopeia is at the upper left, the constellation of Perseus near the center, the Double Cluster between Cassiopeia and Perseus, the planet Jupiter at the right, and the Pleiades (M45) at the bottom.

1820 MST: Began viewing Barnard Objects, 102X: B370, B1, and B201.

Then mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + focal reducer, focused on the star Capella, locked the telescope primary mirror, and slewed to B370.

1848 MST: StarLock ON.

Imaged the following Barnard Objects, StarLock autoguided, 2 minutes, ISO 3200, except for B201 which was 1 minute, ISO 5000 due to poor seeing and autoguiding.

B370


B201


B1

1923 MST: StarLock OFF.

Viewed M1 (Crab Nebula), low in the eastern sky, 102X.

1933 MST: LX600 OFF.

1942 MST: Took a Sky Quality reading and reported the result to Globe at Night.

Close: Wednesday, 6 December 2023, 1948 MST Temperature: 59°F

Session Length: 2h 18m Conditions: Clear, SQM 20.81

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Saturday, 9 December 2023, I will be attending the Ugly Sweater Star Party at Oracle State Park, our local DarkSky International (formerly the International Dark-Sky Association) "International Dark Sky Park".

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