David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 798 Attempt (2020-08-20)

Notes (S797)

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Notes (S798)

	2020-08-20 (Session 798 Attempt)
	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (0),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	AutoStart Results (2020-08-20)
	No images from session  >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-08-20)

Main aims

1. AutoStart. Conduct fourth live test of AutoStart (new observatory mode)
2. Targets. Acquire images of a number of targets if conditions allow.

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  DeviceHub 4.6.1.10, UPB 1.5 
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.9
   
• AstroMain 3.27.3,  AstroGuard 1.4.2,   AstroPlan 1.15.5,  AstroShCap 1.2.23, AstroVOE 1.3.6
  (AstroWeather 1.10.10, AstroAllSky 3.6)
  

Highlights

• AutoStart. Fourth live test of AutoStart was successfully conducted.
• 

Lowlights

• Dome Connection Issues. xxxx

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Result

Night Sky Summary Plot Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Pre-Session Weather Forecast (API data from darksky.net) Pre-Session Weather forecast showed fairly clear conditions up to midnight (3-16% cloud cover), but gradually becoming increasing cloudy (33-100% cloud cover) with no rain, moderate wind (14-18 mph) and a minimum temperature of 15°C. In the event conditions were dry but were clear for just a short interval around 23:30 - 23:45 (up to 31 AllSky Star). The rest of the night was cloudy.

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:44:13 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-08-20 S00798, ImageSaveNum: 798001) 23:44:15   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:46:09   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:46:18 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:46:20 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity starting between 23:43 & 03:35 23:46:22 Session Pending Session pending (2020-08-20) 23:46:24 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:43) 23:46:26 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-08-20) 23:46:28   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.15.5) 23:47:18   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-08-20 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 531) 23:47:31   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C) 23:47:36   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:47:48 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 23:48:33   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 23:48:36   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 23:52:34   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (4.0 mins total) 23:52:36 Session Running Session running 23:52:38   Queue Started Observing Queue started (18 targets selected) 23:53:36       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:56:04   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 23:56:17       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 23:56:20     Target Started (1/18) Target started (1/18, B107). Using SharpCap 00:00:00     Target Failed Target failed due to cloud (1/18, B107) 00:00:02   Queue Paused Queue paused for SoftSuspend 00:00:05 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:03:42 User Intervention User intervention to try to resolved dome connection issue 00:03:44   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 00:04:00 Session Closing Session being closed via manual control 00:05:30   Telescope Park Telescope parked via manual control using DeviceHub 00:07:01   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 00:07:23   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 00:08:09   Services Started Observatory Services started 00:09:10   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 47s) 00:09:40   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 22s) 00:09:43   Dome Parked Dome parked

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 23:53:59 Dome Alert DomeRecords have stopped updating

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Operational Issues (2020-08-20, S798 Attempt)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (1)
• Minor Issues (0)
• Continuous Improvement (0)

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Critical Issues

•  None

Major Issues

• Dome Connection stopped working. At some point between 23:48 (dome slew into wind) and 23:52 (scope slewed to Near Zenith Focus Field) the dome connection appears to have stopped working and the dome doesn't seem to have been slewed to Near-Zenith Focus Field. Whilst performing Foc1 autofocusing at 23:53,  AstroMain reported (23:53) that Dome Records had stopped updating.  and at 23:56, the dome failed to slew to Target 1/18 (B107, dark nebula).  Issue was eventually fixed on 2020-10-15 by the installation of Device Hub 6.5.0.1 which has better exception trapping.   Issue deemed closed on 2020-11-06 after there were no similar incidents during the first 8 sessions using the new DH version. 
  Closed 2020-11-06 (Device Hub 6.5.0.1).

Minor Issues

•  None

Continuous Improvement

•  None

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AutoStart - Results (2020-08-20)

2020-08-20 was the fourth live test of the new observatory mode AutoStart.  It was conducted using AstroMain 3.27.3 which included bug fixes since the previous AutoStart test on 2020-08-09 (conditions in the intervening time having been unseasoningly cloudy)

The weather forecast for the night wasn't promising through the DarkSky weather forecast for the night showed fairly clear conditions up to midnight (3-16% cloud cover), before gradually becoming increasing cloudy (33-100% cloud cover), but with no rain, moderate wind (14-18 mph) and a minimum temperature of 15°C. In the event early evening clear skies didn't materialised.   However the skies did cleared (briefly) at 23:30 - 23:40 and the opportunity to re-test AutoStart and conduct a live session was taken

Result: Successful Test of AstroGuard and a Live Session was created and begun under complete automated control.  Unfortunately an issue with Dome Connection and deteriorating weather conditions (neither the fault of AutoStart) forced the premature end to the session.

AutoStart Mode was initiated from AstroMain 3.27.3 program at 23:43. It's operational window was from 23:43 (straightaway) until 03:35. 
Conditions at 23:43 were suitable for observing and AutoStart ran, and created a new live session (S798 attempt), and begun Observatory Night Services including powering up and connecting to the LX200 Telescope. The dome was opened at 23:47 and session began running at 23:52.

At some point between 23:48 and 23:52 there was a problem with the Dome Connection and the dome doesn't seem to have been slewed to Near-Zenith Focus Field. Whilst performing Foc1 autofocusing at 23:53,  AstroMain reported (23:53) that Dome Records had stopped updating.  and at 23:56, the dome failed to slew to Target 1/18 (B107, dark nebula).


Report Logs :

Remainder of session report log not shown here.

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