The sky was cloudy on Wednesday, 27 May 2015, but mostly cleared on Thursday.

Open: Thursday, 28 May 2015, 1817 MST Temperature: 92°F

Session: 827 Conditions: Mostly clear

When I opened the observatory I discovered that the thermometer I have in the POD had failed. The temperature noted above is from the LX200-ACF (which can show the ambient temperature).

1824 MST: viewed Venus, 83X. Then Jupiter, 83X and 222X. Slewed to the Moon and viewed it at 83X.

1829-1837 MST: returned to the house to swap the thermometer battery. Still no display on it.

1842 MST: thin cirrus clouds were now in much of the sky. Satellite image showed a thicker band of clouds heading my way.

1843 MST: took this handheld iPhone 5s afocal 83X photo of the waxing gibbous Moon 44 minutes before local sunset:

I noticed I had a curious visitor:

1920 MST: the western sky was getting colorful:

1927 MST: sunset. Still a lot of cirrus clouds in the sky. Took this handheld iPhone afocal 83X photo of the Moon through some thin cloud:

1931 MST: began doing lunar observing, 222X. Seeing was not great (clouds). Crater Gassendi looked interesting at the terminator. Handheld iPhone afocal 222X (cropped):

Had another visitor:

1944 MST: viewed Jupiter, 222X. The South Equatorial Belt looked healthy again this night (unlike on a session a few nights ago). Four moons visible.

1953 MST: decided to close due to the clouds.

Close: Thursday, 28 May 2015, 2005 MST Temperature: 77°F (telescope)

After I got to the house I did some cleaning of a contact in the thermometer to remove some corrosion. That fixed the problem and the thermometer began working again.

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