26 May 2026 was the 20th anniversary of a visit to Oracle Observatory (as it was then known). I spent two nights there. Click the link to read the report.

Open: Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 1831 MST Temperature: 77°F

Session: 2140 Conditions: Mostly clear, breezy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 14mm 100° eyepiece
2" 9mm 100° eyepiece
2" 5.5mm 100° eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1836 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed Venus, 102X, 174X, 271X, and 443X. The view was nice at 443X with the gibbous phase clearly seen.

Took this handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max afocal 443X image of Venus using the Camera app (2X lens).

Then viewed Jupiter in the bright blue sky, 102X, 174X, 271X, and 443X.

1851 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench and monitored approaching clouds.

1923 MST: Took this iPhone photograph just before the Sun set.

1925 MST: Sunset. Went back inside the observatory.

Viewed Jupiter and three Galilean Moons, 443X. This handheld iPhone afocal 443X image taken with the Camera app (1X lens) approximates the view as seen by the eye.

Slewed the 12" telescope to the waxing gibbous Moon. Went outside of the observatory and took this photo showing the Moon high in the southeastern sky.

Back at the telescope I viewed the Moon, 102X. This iPhone afocal 102X image (Camera app, 1X lens) shows how the Moon appeared to the eye.

I then began using the 14mm, 9mm, and 5.5mm 100° field-of-view eyepieces to do some lunar observing. I took some handheld iPhone photos with each magnification.

Using the 14mm 100° (174X) the entire illuminated lunar disk was visible in the field-of-view (FOV). To capture the entire FOV with the iPhone I had to use the 0.5X lens. This image was taken using NightCap Camera (ISO 32, 1/1000sec, 0.5X lens).

This afocal 174X image was taken with the Camera app (1X) and shows the northern portion of the Moon.

This afocal 271X image was taken with the Camera app (1X) and shows the north polar region of the Moon.

This afocal 443X image taken with the Camera app (1X) shows the south polar region of the Moon.

As I noted in my review of the 100° eyepieces, the views of the lunar surface were expansive.

1951 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Tuesday, 26 May 2026, 2003 MST Temperature: 73°F

Session Length: 1h 32m Conditions: Mosty clear, calm

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