Saturday night, 26 July 2025, there was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 2131 MST. Unfortunately it had been delayed until two hours after sunset, so conditions were not good for viewing or photographing the launch. I never saw the launch, although I did try some photographs during the launch with an iPhone 15 Pro Max. None of the iPhone photos showed the rocket. I also did a long exposure photograph using a tripod mounted D850 DSLR (f/2.8, 7m52s, ISO 200, FL 24mm). Clouds, star trails, two airplanes, and the International Space Station (the long curved trail) are visible in the photo, but no rocket.

About noon on Wednesday, 30 July, a possible "gustnado" hit the house. I heard it coming; it sounded like the proverbial "train" noise of a tornado. There were no close thunderstorms though. It removed one shingle from the roof. Fortunately, no other damage. Tuesday afternoon, 5 August, a small but very loud (thunder) Monsoon Season thunderstorm formed over Mt Lemmon. As it drifted past Oracle, we got 0.05" rain. Early Sunday morning, 10 August, there were thunderstorms in the area; received another 0.05" rain.

Monday morning, 11 August, at 0425 MST, I took this iPhone 15 Pro Max photo (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens, slightly cropped) showing the close conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Venus. The constellation of Orion is at the right. There were some clouds in the sky. The "double planet" separation was 1° 09' 35". The sky was brightly lit by the waning gibbous Moon. While I was outside I saw one bright Perseid meteor.

The planets were closer together Tuesday morning (52' 46"). The sky was partly cloudy with a still bright waning gibbous Moon. I took these iPhone 15 Pro Max photos. The last photo shows the double planet low at the left, with the Pleiades at the top and Orion at the right partially obscured by clouds.

Night Mode, 3 seconds, 2X lens


Waning Gibbous Moon, NightCap Camera, 1/120sec, ISO 34, 5X lens


Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens

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