Friday, 25 February 2022, was partly cloudy during the day. I removed the Dome Cover in anticipation of a clear sky that night.

I had lunch with Scott Roberts, President of Explore Scientific. He was in Arizona to check out Oracle State Park for the "David H. Levy Arizona Dark Sky Star Party" to be held at the Park 21-25 September 2022. As the sun was setting, Scott visited my observatory.

Beginning about 20 minutes before the end of Astronomical Twilight (1940 MST), Scott was able to see the Zodiacal Light in the western sky. As the sky became darker he was impressed at seeing the Zodiacal Light extend nearly all the way to the Zenith. Scott was beginning to learn how dark our sky is in Oracle.

Open: Friday, 25 February 2022, 1937 MST Temperature: 47°F

Session: 1726 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 14mm 100° eyepiece
2" 5.5mm 100° eyepiece

Camera:
None

1941 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

The first object Scott viewed through my Meade 12" LX600 telescope was the Great Nebula in Orion (M42), 102X. When I first met Scott two decades ago he was a senior executive at Meade Instruments. It was fun to let him look through this telescope that came about after he left Meade and started Explore Scientific. He then viewed M42 using my Explore Scientific 2" 14mm 100° eyepiece (174X) and Explore Scientific 2" 5.5mm 100° eyepiece (443X).

Next, he viewed the following, 102X:

Flame Nebula (NGC2024)
M81 (Bode's Galaxy) and M82 (Cigar Galaxy), both in the same field of view
Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), very low in the southeastern sky
Hubble's Variable Nebula (NGC2261)

2035 MST: LX600 OFF.

It was fun and an honor for me to have Scott at Cassiopeia Observatory and experience the dark night sky in Oracle, Arizona.

Close: Friday, 25 February 2022, 2037 MST Temperature: 43°F

Session Length: 1h 00m Conditions: Clear

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I have updated my review of the Explore Scientific 7-n-1 Professional Weather Station.

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