Open: Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 1808 MST Temperature: 91°F

Session: 1953 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 2X Powermate
12x50 binoculars

Camera:
D850 DSLR
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1812 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the Moon, 102X.

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus of the 12" telescope. Took this image (1/500sec, ISO 200) of the Moon in the bright blue sky.

1828 MST: I stepped outside of the observatory and took this video of the observatory using my iPhone 15 Pro Max and the app DoubleTake, which allows two cameras to be used simultaneously.

Click to view video

I then relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1855 MST: Took this iPhone photo of the setting Sun using the Camera app (5X).

1857 MST: Sunset.

1858 MST: Back in the observatory.

Took these D850 DSLR, prime focus + 2X Powermate, photos of the Moon (1/250sec, ISO 800).

1917 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench while waiting for the sky to get darker.

1926 MST: Back inside the observatory to try to observe Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, low in the western sky.

1927 MST: Wi-Fi ON.

Used SkySafari 7 Pro on the iPhone to GOTO the comet. The comet was not visible in the telescope finderscope.

1934 MST: Viewed Jupiter, 12x50 binoculars. Could see one moon. No comet visible.

1943 MST: Sighted Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, 12x50 binoculars. Comet head faintly visible in the binoculars in the twilight sky. I returned to the telescope, but the comet was now too low and behind a tree.

1958 MST: High Precision ON.

Slewed to NGC3621 (galaxy) to image Supernova 2024ggi. Focused on Minkar and locked the mirror.

2004 MST: StarLock ON.

Did some imaging of the galaxy and supernova, but the galaxy was too low in the southern sky for good results.

2015 MST: StarLock OFF, Wi-Fi OFF.

2017-2041 MST: Relaxed on the bench while waiting for the galaxy to get a little higher in the southern sky.

2043 MST: StarLock ON.

Took this image of NGC3621 (galaxy) and Supernova 2024ggi (2 minutes, ISO 3200, slightly cropped).

Mouseover or tap on image for pointer to supernova

2046 MST: StarLock OFF.

Viewed NGC3621 (galaxy) and Supernova 2024ggi, 102X. Supernova easily seen. Galaxy was faintly visible in the bright moonlit sky.

2052 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Wednesday, 17 April 2024, 2100 MST Temperature: 64°F

Session Length: 2h 52m Conditions: Clear

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