Tuesday, 31 December 2024, was cloudy. I missed a short faint Auroral display early morning on Wednesday, 1 January 2025!

Open: Wednesday, 1 January 2025, 1822 MST Temperature: 67°F

Session: 2058 Conditions: Partly cloudy

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

SYNCed the observatory clock to WWV time signals.

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

Viewed the thin crescent Moon, low in the southwestern sky and through tree limbs, 102X and 81X. Earthshine was visible.

I attached my LiDAR Cover on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I took these handheld iPhone afocal 81X images on the Moon using the Camera app (1X). I adjusted the exposure for each image.

Next, I viewed Venus, 102X.

I went outside of the observatory and took this handheld iPhone photo of the southwestern sky using the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens). It shows the Moon with Earthshine, Venus, Saturn, the star Fomalhaut, and some clouds.

Mouseover or tap on image for labels

I then viewed Saturn, 102X. Viewed Jupiter and three Galilean Moons, 102X.

1858 MST: High Precision ON.

Slewed the 12" telescope to my first imaging target in Orion. It was too low in the sky for imaging and clouds were increasing.

After monitoring the clouds for several minutes it was obvious that conditions were getting worse. I decided to end the session.

1914 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Wednesday, 1 January 2025, 1922 MST Temperature: 58°F

Session Length: 1h 00m Conditions: Cloudy

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