Open: Saturday, 4 October 2025, 1734 MST Temperature: 75°F

Session: 2098 Conditions: Clear

Equipment:
12" f/8 LX600 w/StarLock
2" 24mm UWA eyepiece
2" 30mm eyepiece
2" 4X Powermate

Camera:
iPhone 15 Pro Max
D850 DSLR

1750 MST: Relaxed on the observatory patio bench.

1804 MST: Sunset.

1815 MST: This visitor came by the observatory. The tarantula was about 3" in diameter.

Click to view video

1830 MST: LX600 ON, StarLock OFF, High Precision OFF.

SYNCed on Antares, mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus, focused on Antares, and locked the telescope primary mirror.

1952 MST: Wi-Fi ON.

Used SkySafari 7 Pro on the iPhone 15 Pro Max to GOTO Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), low in the western sky. Did two quick test exposures of the comet using the D850 DSLR to better frame it.

1859 MST: Wi-Fi OFF.

Turned the StarLock ON, but could not get lock on a guidestar due to the low elevation.

This animated image shows the comet at 1907 MST and 1910 MST (30 seconds, ISO 3200, White Balance 4550K).

Removed the camera and viewed GOTO Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN), 81X.

Attached the LiDAR Cover on the iPhone and mounted the iPhone on the 2" 30mm eyepiece. The comet was behind some tree branches and difficult to image.

1926 MST: iPhone afocal 81X image of GOTO Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN). Taken with the NightCap Camera app (Long Exposure, Light Boost, ISO 8000, 1sec, 60 seconds, 1X lens).

Slewed to the waxing gibbous Moon and took this iPhone afocal 81X image using the Camera app (1X lens).

Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus and took this image of the Moon (1/250sec, ISO 100, White Balance Auto). The image was highly saturated in post-processing to show mineral colors.

Slewed to Saturn. Mounted the D850 DSLR at prime focus + 4X Powermate. Did some imaging of Saturn but conditions were not good enough for clear images.

Removed the camera and viewed the Moon, 102X.

2012 MST: Handheld iPhone image of the Moon projected onto the observatory dome. Taken with the Camera app (Night Mode, 3 seconds, 1X lens).

2015 MST: LX600 OFF.

Close: Saturday, 4 October 2025, 2023 MST Temperature: 64°F

Session Length: 2h 49m Conditions: Clear

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