Open: Monday, 10 March 2025, 1812 MST Temperature: 80°F

Session: 2080 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
12x50 binoculars
2" 5.5mm 100° eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

SYNCed observatory clock to WWV time signals.

1819 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Venus, 102X. A thin crescent phase was visible.

1823 MST: Slewed to Mercury. It was not yet visible in the bright western sky.

1829 MST: Viewed Venus, 12x50 binoculars. The thin crescent phase was easily seen.

1830 MST: Sunset.

Viewed the waxing gibbous Moon, 102X. Took this handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max afocal 102X image using the Camera app (1X lens).

1842 MST: Viewed Mercury, 102X. Crescent phase visible.

1900-2015 MST: While in the observatory I took a break from observing to participate in the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association Tucson Astronomy Festival preparation Zoom meeting. I will be supporting Oracle State Park, our local DarkSky International "International Dark Sky Park" at the Festival.

1958 MST: There was a pass of the International Space Station (ISS) visible in the southern sky. I took these handheld iPhone photos of the ISS in the constellation of Orion using the Camera app (Night Mode, 10 seconds, 1X lens).

2023 MST: Viewed Jupiter and the four Galilean Moons, 102X and 443X.

Attached the LiDAR Cover on the iPhone and mounted the iPhone on the 2" 5.5mm eyepiece using the 3-axis adapter. Took these afocal 443X images. Three of the Galilean Moons and the Great Red Spot are visible in the images.

Camera app (1X lens)


NightCap Camera (ISO 55, 1/5sec, 1X lens)

I then used the Final Cut Camera app for this stacked afocal 443X image of Jupiter (631 frames, 60fps, ISO 1000, 1/60sec, 1X lens).

2044 MST: LX600 OFF.

2105 MST: With rain and possible snow in the forecasts for the next several days and nights, I put the Dome Cover ON.

Close: Monday, 10 March 2025, 2108 MST Temperature: 57°F

Session Length: 2h 56m Conditions: Clear

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