Open: Thursday, 2 October 2025, 1805 MST Temperature: 81°F

Session: 2097 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
2" 9mm 100° eyepiece

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max

1808 MST: Sunset.

1812 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

Viewed the waxing gibbous Moon, 102X.

Took this handheld iPhone 15 Pro Max afocal 102X image of the Moon using the Camera app (1X lens).

Did an AutoStar One Star Alignment to ensure alignment was good after the long period of non-use that started in May. Then SYNCed on Antares for best GOTO Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) that was low in the western sky. Next, I viewed the planet Mars, very low in the western sky, 81X.

1847 MST: Wi-Fi ON.

Using the iPhone app SkySafari 7 Pro, did a GOTO to Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN).

1850 MST: Viewed the comet, 81X. Only the faint coma was visible in the still bright twilight sky.

1852 MST: Wi-Fi OFF.

Attached the LiDAR Cover on the iPhone and mounted the phone on the 2" 30mm eyepiece.

1904 MST: StarLock ON.

Did some iPhone imaging of the comet.

1913 MST: Viewed Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), 12x50 binoculars. The faint coma was visible, but no tail was seen.

1915 MST: iPhone afocal 81X image of Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), StarLock autoguided, taken with the Camera app (Night Mode, 30 seconds, 1X lens). The cross on the comet's head is an artifact of the app HDR processing. The tail is faintly visible at 10 o'clock.

1918 MST: StarLock OFF.

1920 MST: Last look at the comet, 102X.

1922 MST: Viewed Saturn, low in the eastern sky, 102X.

1938 MST: Viewed Saturn, 271X. Four moons were visible: Titan, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea.

Mounted the iPhone on the 2" 9mm eyepiece. This afocal 271X image is a merge of two NightCap Camera app exposures (ISO 1000, 1/2sec for the moons, and 1/120sec for the planet, 1X lens).

2002 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Thursday, 2 October 2025, 2013 MST Temperature: 75°F

Session Length: 2h 08m Conditions: Clear

---

Comments are welcome using Email. Please read the Email Etiquette guidance.

---

Previous report

Cassiopeia Observatory Home Page