Open: Friday, 17 April 2026, 1810 MST Temperature: 87°F

Session: 2127 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 9mm 100° eyepiece
1.25" 26mm eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1817 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Venus, 102X. Gibbous phase visible.

In preparation for the 25 April daytime occultation of the star Regulus by the Moon, I viewed Regulus, 102X. It was easily seen in the bright late afternoon sky.

I then noticed I had a visitor in the observatory.

1828 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench to wait for the stars to come out.

1856 MST: Sunset.

1858 MST: Dome OFF.

1957 MST: iPhone 15 Pro Max photo of Orion, Taurus, Pleiades, Venus, and Cassiopeia Observatory. Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens, handheld).

2014 MST: Back in the observatory.

Viewed Jupiter, the four Galilean Moons, and the Great Red Spot (really now just a Pale Pink Spot), 102X and 271X.

2023 MST: Began a StarLock auto Drift Align, something I had not done in a few years. 2037 MST: Drift Align completed. No mount adjustments were needed.

Viewed NGC2392 (Eskimo Nebula), 102X and 271X. The nebula was very nice at 271X.

Attached the LiDAR Cover on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and mounted the iPhone on the 2" 9mm eyepiece using the 3-axis adapter.

2104 MST: StarLock ON.

Took this StarLock autoguided afocal 271X iPhone image of NGC2392 (Eskimo Nebula) using the Camera app (Night Mode, 30 seconds, 1X lens).

Removed the phone and viewed M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), 102X and 94X. Then mounted the phone on the 1.25" 26mm eyepiece.

Took this StarLock autoguided afocal 94X iPhone image of M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy) using the Camera app (Night Mode, 30 seconds, 1X lens).

As a test, I used the iPhone 2X lens setting for this StarLock autoguided afocal 94X iPhone image of M51 (Whirlpool Galaxy), Camera app (Night Mode, 30 seconds, 2X lens).

2125 MST: StarLock OFF.

Took a last look at the Whirlpool Galaxy, 102X.

2134 MST: LX600 OFF.

2145 MST: Did a Sky Quality reading and reported the result to Globe at Night.

Close: Friday, 17 April 2026, 2149 MST Temperature: 58°F

Session Length: 3h 39m Conditions: Clear, SQM 20.98

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