Clouds returned Monday morning, 5 February 2024. Tuesday night, 6 February, there was rain (0.4"). Below is a photo of one of the storms approaching Wednesday morning, 7 February. There was a mix of graupel and snow in the morning, then rain and more snow, and even a brief rainbow in the western sky.

Total precipitation on Wednesday was 0.9". Due to the inclement weather forecast for Saturday, 10 February, the star party at Oracle State Park was cancelled on Wednesday. This is the first star party at the Park that has been cancelled in at least 10 years!

Thursday, 8 February, dawned clear, but by mid-day the sky was overcast as another storm approached, as seen in this late afternoon photograph of the western sky.

Received 0.31" rain Thursday night. Friday, 9 February, dawned clear, but clouds from our third storm that week arrived mid-day, with 0.05" rain before midnight. Saturday, 10 February, was a snow day. The snow began before sunrise and continued until early afternoon.

Click to view video

The temperature was just above freezing so there was not much accumulation from the precipitation (which totalled 0.3" rain). Late Saturday night it snowed again. It was below freezing and there was a good accumulation, as seen in these photos taken at midnight.

Sunday, 11 February, dawned clear with 2.5" of snow accumulation (0.27" precipitation) with snow on the distant mountains.

Click or tap on image for larger version

Monday, 12 February, dawned clear. With clear nights in the forecasts for the next several nights, I took the Dome Cover OFF. However, clouds began appearing mid-afternoon. The sky was clear on Tuesday, 13 February.

Open: Tuesday, 13 February 2024, 1805 MST Temperature: 66°F

Session: 1937 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
1.25" 26mm Occulting Bar eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1815 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Jupiter and three Galilean Moons, 102X.

Viewed the Moon, 102X.

Took this iPhone 15 Pro Max photo (0.5X ultra wide-angle lens) showing the 12" LX600 telescope and the crescent Moon.

The Moon and Jupiter were close together in the sky. Took this handheld iPhone photo using the Camera app (2X lens, cropped) showing the Moon with Earthshine and Jupiter.

Viewed the Moon, 81X. This handheld iPhone afocal 81X image taken with the NightCap Camera app (ISO 55, 1/250sec, 1X lens) shows how the Moon appeared in the eyepiece.

I then did extensive tests of my homemade eyepiece Occulting Bar. I will report on the results once I complete my tests.

Lastly, I viewed the Great Nebula in Orion (M42), 102X.

1938 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Tuesday, 13 February 2024, 1944 MST Temperature: 50°F

Session Length: 1h 39m Conditions: Clear

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The Seymour (Indiana) Eclipse Festival has created a new flyer.

On Friday, 9 February, the Seymour newspaper ran a story about the Festival: Seymour, Crothersville planning eclipse events.

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