Primary Instruments: Celestron NexStar 127 SLT; Orion 180 Mak-Cass
Secondary Instruments: Meade LX90 10" ACF Telescope; Sky View Pro 120EQ Refractor
AstroView 120ST Refractor; Orion Deep Space Explorer 6" Reflector
I really started getting interested in lunar astronomy in the fall of 2012 after purchasing my Celestron NexStar 127 Maksutov Cassegrain. I was looking for a small grab-n-go scope that I could take
with me on the road. The Mak-Cass is not known for its quick "cool down" time but I've dealt with it. It's a good little scope but the funky mount leaves a lot to be desired. It'll work in a pinch
but when I'm at home I mount the scope on my sturdier Orion Sky View Pro equatorial mount. The SVP mount is perfectly suited to the type of observing I do and is easy to set up and rough align.
In the prime focus photos below, the terminator is probably not represented perfectly as it appears to the eye at the instant in time the photo was made. I notice as I take various exposures with my camera,
the terminator "jumps" a little, typically towards the illuminated portion of the moon. This is also evident when I'm taking afocal photos with my smart phone.
The first table of photos below shows the waning moon beginning on 30 September 2012. In the latter stages, especially third quarter onwards, I woke up quite early to take the photos and observe this fascinating
phase of the moon.
| Full Frame | Detail | Detail | Detail | Detail | Detail |
 30 Sep 2012 2038hrs MST 24 hrs past Full |
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 1 Oct 2012 2158hrs MST |
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 2 Oct 2012 0502hrs MST |
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 2 Oct 2012 2241hrs MST |
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 3 Oct 2012 0540hrs MST |
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 4 Oct 2012 0427hrs MST |
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 4 Oct 2012 2344hrs MST |
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 5 Oct 2012 0458hrs MST |
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 6 Oct 2012 0043hrs MST |
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 6 Oct 2012 0628hrs MST |
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 7 Oct 2012 0510hrs MST |
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 7 Oct 2012 0943hrs MST |
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 8 Oct 2012 0423hrs MST 4 hours past Last Quarter |
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 9 Oct 2012 0413hrs MST |
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 10 Oct 2012 0600hrs MST |
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 11 Oct 2012 0531hrs MST |
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 12 Oct 2012 0613hrs MST |
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 12 Oct 2012 1200hrs MST |
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 13 Oct 2012 0530hrs MST |
 13 Oct 2012 0559hrs MST |
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 14 Oct 2012 0557hrs MST About 23 hours until "New" |
 14 Oct 2012 0557hrs MST Correct Orientation |
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 16 Oct 2012 1830hrs MST |
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 17 Oct 2012 1752hrs MST |
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 18 Oct 2012 1807hrs MST |
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 19 Oct 2012 1822hrs MST |
 19 Oct 2012 1822hrs MST 2500 px wide |
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 20 Oct 2012 2014hrs MST |
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 21 Oct 2012 2033hrs MST Exactly First Quarter |
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 22 Oct 2012 1854hrs MST |
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 23 Oct 2012 1813hrs MST |
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 24 Oct 2012 1855hrs MST |
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 25 Oct 2012 0211hrs MST |
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 25 Oct 2012 1918hrs MST |
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 26 Oct 2012 0051hrs MST |
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 28 Oct 2012 0115hrs MST |
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 28 Oct 2012 2024hrs MST |
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 29 Oct 2012 0518hrs MST 8.5 hours from full |
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 30 Oct 2012 2214hrs MST |
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 31 Oct 2012 2351hrs MST |
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 2 Nov 2012 0025hrs MST |
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 3 Nov 2012 0155hrs MST |
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 4 Nov 2012 0220hrs MST |
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 5 Nov 2012 0413hrs MST |
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 6 Nov 2012 0346hrs MST 14 hours until Third Quarter |
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 7 Nov 2012 0303hrs MST |
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 8 Nov 2012 0333hrs MST |
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 9 Nov 2012 0715hrs MST |
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 10 Nov 2012 0637hrs MST |
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 11 Nov 2012 0619hrs MST |
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 12 Nov 2012 0621hrs MST |
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 16 Nov 2012 1741hrs MST 1st clear day since New Moon |
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