Sunday, 11 January 2026, there was a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch occurred about 45 minutes before sunrise here so I was hoping for a view of the rocket plume. However, the sky was too bright at launch time. I did take this iPhone 15 Pro Max photo (Camera app, Night Mode, 2 seconds, 5X lens). The photo has been cropped. I took the photo because I saw the light at the left and had centered it in the field-of-view. After I looked at the photo I saw a light and possible exhaust cloud further to the right. Did I get the rocket launch or just another airplane? Difficult to say for sure.

Open: Tuesday, 13 January 2026, 1811 MST Temperature: 64°F

Session: 2113 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
Filter Slider
2" Hydrogen-Alpha filter
2" Oxygen III filter
1.25" 26mm eyepiece

Camera:
D850 DSLR

Prepared the D850 DSLR camera for imaging. Attached the Starizona Filter Slider to the camera. I would use the Optolong Hydrogen-Alpha filter & Oxygen III filter in an attempt to image Purgathofer-Weinberger 1 (faint and large planetary nebula). Mounted the camera at prime focus. Then waited a few minutes for the sky to get darker.

1837 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Slewed the 12" telescope to the star Capella. Inserted the H-A filter, focused on Capella, and locked the telescope primary mirror.

1844 MST: Wi-Fi ON.

Used SkySafari 7 Pro on the iPhone 15 Pro Max to GOTO Purgathofer-Weinberger 1.

1847 MST: StarLock ON.

I did StarLock autoguided, 5 and 10 minutes, ISO 12800, exposures of Purgathofer-Weinberger 1 using the Hydrogen-Alpha filter and then the Oxygen III filter. Unfortunately, I was not able to get an image of the planetary nebula due to its diffuse and faint nebulosity. But it was a fun attempt.

1919 MST: Wi-Fi OFF.

I then took this StarLock autoguided, 10 minutes, ISO 12800, exposure of M1 (Crab Nebula) using the Oxygen III filter. The image was converted to black-n-white in post-processing.

1957 MST: StarLock OFF.

Attached the star diagonal with 1.25" 26mm eyepiece (94X) on the Filter Slider and viewed the Crab Nebula with and without the OIII filter. The nebula was very faint with no structure visible using the OIII. The view of the nebula was good without the filter.

Removed the Filter Slider and viewed M1 (Crab Nebula), 102X.

Lastly, I viewed Jupiter, 102X.

2014 MST: LX600 OFF.

2021 MST: Took a Sky Quality reading and reported the result to Globe at Night.

Close: Tuesday, 13 January 2026, 2026 MST Temperature: 53°F

Session Length: 2h 15m Conditions: Clear, SQM 20.92

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