Open: Thursday, 7 May 2020, 1822 MST Temperature: 98°F

Session: 1472 Conditions: Mostly clear, breezy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
1.25" 15mm eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 11 Pro Max

1826 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the planet Venus, 102X and 163X.

1834 MST: I began relaxing on the observatory patio bench.

1858 MST: as I was relaxing on the bench under a peaceful sky all at once I began hearing a lot of noise from birds. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw a large bobcat about 25' from me. We looked at each other for a few seconds. I started to get my iPhone out to take to a photo but the bobcat disappeared. The birds quieted down. Always something exciting to see here!

1913 MST: sunset (time approximate due to clouds).

1920 MST: back in the observatory.

1921 MST: last look at Venus, 163X and 102X.

Slewed to M83 (galaxy). It would be too low in the sky to image after the end of Astronomical Twilight (2042 MST) this night, especially with the nearly Full Moon rising (1945 MST).

SYNCed the AutoStar on the star Spica in anticipation of imaging some Messier Catalog objects on the next session in the observatory.

Clouds were increasing.

1956 MST: iPhone 11 Pro Max photo of the western sky, Camera app (Night Node, 3 seconds, 1X lens), handheld. Bright Venus is at the right, the bright star Sirius at the left, and the constellation of Orion setting below center.

2000 MST: eastern sky brightening from rising Moon.

Clouds were now in much of the sky.

2005 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Thursday, 7 May 2020, 2013 MST Temperature: 80°F

Session Length: 1h 51m Conditions: Partly cloudy

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