Due to a partly cloudy sky, I did not open the observatory on Saturday, 23 May 2026. Sunday, 24 May, was cloudy with some thunderstorms in the area about sunset. Received 0.02" rain. The sky cleared on Monday, 25 May.

Open: Monday, 25 May 2026, 1820 MST Temperature: 77°F

Session: 2139 Conditions: Mostly clear, breezy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 8-24mm zoom eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1827 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Venus, 102X.

Switched to the 8-24 zoom eyepiece and viewed Venus at 102X, 122X, 152X, 203X, and 305X. The view at 305X was nice.

Took this handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max afocal 305X image of Venus using the Camera app (1X lens). The image clearly shows the gibbous phase of the planet.

I then viewed Jupiter in the bright sky using the zoom eyepiece, 102X, 122X, 152X, 203X, and 305X. Again, the view at 305X was nice.

Took these handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max afocal 305X images of Jupiter using the Camera app (1X and 2X lens).

Viewed the Moon, 102X.

1851 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1852 MST: The waxing gibbous Moon, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Camera app (5X lens).

1924 MST: Sunset. Calm now. Back inside the observatory.

Viewed the Moon, 102X.

This handheld iPhone afocal 102X shows the field-of-view (FOV) of the 2" 24mm Ultra Wide Angle eyepiece. Taken with the Camera app (1X lens).

I switched to the zoom eyepiece and did lunar observing, 102X, 122X, 152X, 203X, and 305X. The views at 305X were really nice.

These handheld iPhone photos (Camera app, 1X lens) shows the crater Copernicus at different magnifications with the zoom eyepiece. Notice that the FOV at 102X (FL 24mm) is significantly smaller than with the 24mm UWA eyepiece yielding the same magnification.

102X (FL 24mm)


122X (FL 20mm)


152X (FL 16mm)


203X (FL 12mm)


305X (FL 8mm)

This handheld iPhone afocal 305X (Camera app, 1X lens) shows the crater Clavius.

Viewed the Moon with the 24mm UWA eyepiece, 102X.

Viewed Jupiter and the four Galilean Moons, 102X.

1949 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Monday, 25 May 2026, 2001 MST Temperature: 73°F

Session Length: 1h 41m Conditions: Mostly clear, calm

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