Wednesday, 17 July 2024, was cloudy. About sunset our sky was green from an approaching storm. There was even a brief tornado warning in Tucson! But we only got 0.02” rain. Thursday, 18 July, was cloudy. The Freeman Fire that started on 11 July northwest of Oracle was 100% contained at 32,568 acres. Thursday night a thunderstorm came through (0.5" rain). Friday, 19 July, was cloudy. Friday night, the lightning caused Romero Fire started near where the lightning caused Freeman Fire started the week before. Saturday morning, 20 July, it had grown to 3,500 acres, 0% containment. About the same time, a second fire, the Circle Fire, started close to the Romero Fire and was 200 acres, 0%. Smoke was visible in our sky, including a "pyrocumulus cloud" (or technically, a "Cumulus congestus flammagenitus"). (Love that name!)

Saturday evening the Romero Fire was at 4,200 acres and the Circle Fire at 1,000 acres. We had 0.16" rain Saturday night from thunderstorms. Sunday, 21 July, the fires were at 6,874 and 2,700 acres. Had some passing thundershowers late Sunday afternoon, but not much rain here (0.07"). Monday, 22 July, was partly cloudy. The fires were 7,000 acres (30%) and 2,800 acres (10%). A brief thundershower came through Monday night (0.09"). Tuesday, 23 July, was partly cloudy. The fires were 7,392 acres (40% contained) and 2,800 acres (35%). Wednesday, 24 July, was cloudy with several thunderstorms in the afternoon and at night (0.4"). Both wildfires were nearly 100% contained.

Thursday, 25 July, was the 15th anniversary of setting up my SkyShed POD.

It was cloudy on Thursday with thunderstorms that night (0.4"). On Friday, 26 July, the sky was clear during the daytime, but clouded up late afternoon from nearby storms. Saturday, 27 July, was cloudy. Sunday, 28 July, was cloudy with thunderstorms in the area. Only received 0.01" rain. Monday, 29 July, and Tuesday, 30 July, were partly cloudy. Wednesday, 31 July, was mostly cloudy. Thursday, 1 August, had some nearby thunderstorms. This one knocked out our power for about 30 minutes (0.01" rain).

Friday, 2 August, was cloudy most of the day with a thunderstorm late afternoon (0.14"). Saturday, 3 August, was mostly clear until a strong thunderstorm came through mid-afternoon (0.42"). This is the same storm after it moved off to the west.

Sunday, 4 August, was clear during the morning, but began clouding up as Monsoon Season thunderstorms began forming. Mid-afternoon a thunderstorm passed over (no rain), but apparently lightning caused two new wildfires about 10 miles to the west. The Arroyo Fire (left in top photo) started about 1430 MST and was mostly controlled by 1730 MST. It burned 30 acres. The Bertha Fire (right) started at the same time and burned 1 acre.

Monday, 5 August, dawned mostly cloudy with rainshowers in the area. This double rainbow after sunrise, seen during my bicycle ride, was compensation for all the cloudy nights!

After sunset on Monday there was a close conjunction of Venus and the Moon (separation 1°07'). I had hoped to image the conjunction through the 12" telescope, but I decided against that due to the mostly cloudy sky. Instead I mounted the D850 DSLR camera + 150-600mm lens on a camera tripod and hoped for an imaging opportunity.

1918 MST: Sunset.

1919 MST: The western sky looked like this:

1936 MST: Using 7x50 binoculars, I spotted the bright planet Venus. This iPhone 15 Pro Max photo (5X lens) shows Venus above center. Can you spot it?

1942 MST: D850 DSLR photo (f/6.3, 1/40sec, ISO 400, FL 600mm) of the thin crescent Moon and Venus.

1944 MST: A pretty view of the Moon and Venus in an Arizona sunset sky! Taken with the iPhone (5X lens).

2003 MST: The Moon, Earthshine, and Venus. D850 DSLR photo (f/6.3, 1/4sec, ISO 1000, FL 600mm).

2004 MST: My last good view of the Moon with Earthshine and Venus in the sunset sky. Taken with the iPhone (5X lens).

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