Christmas Eve 93% Waxing Gibbous Moon, 2023

Starlog December 24th, 2023, 11:31 p.m. local time

The weather here in the Midwest has been unseasonable these last few days leading up to Christmas. As I write, early Christmas morning, the temperature is 51 degrees Fahrenheit! It won’t last, but with the skies mostly clear, I wanted to capture tonight’s almost Full Moon before we return to typical late December weather in a couple of days.

The relatively high temperatures brought a very consistent rain, so I was surprised that the skies were clear at all tonight.

And this being Christmas, I decided to have a little seasonal fun with today’s image. I previously captured an airplane and geese flying near or through my view of the Moon. Is it so difficult to believe that Santa Claus himself could make a cameo on this of all nights?

Equipment Used:

  • 127mm Mak-Cass telescope
  • 23mm eyepiece
  • No eyepiece filter
  • iPhone 14 Pro
  • Smartphone telescope eyepiece adapter
  • NightCap app on iPhone
  • f/1.8
  • 1/425 sec exposure
  • ISO 57
  • Focal length: 7mm
  • Touchups in PaintShop Pro and AfterShot Pro, with obvious Christmas-themed editing!

Thank you for reading my article. Merry Christmas!

Paul

Paul

I write frequently about astrophotography, technology advice, and my other interests like science fiction. I have over 30 years of experience in computer programming, information technology, and project management.

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