David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1010 (2022-05-14)

Notes (S1009)

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Notes (S1011A)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (0),  Small Defects (0),  Continuous Improvement (3)
	Images from 2022-05-14 >>         [ Local Files >> ]
	2022-05-15
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Session Aims & Highlights (2022-05-14)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions.
2. AstroMain.  Check out new 3.15.7 version, ensure that it has not introduced any new issues or problems.
3. Dome. Check that recent issue with dome positioning (position inaccuracies of 8 deg when parking the dome at end of sessions S1008 and S1009)
   have been fixed by dome re-calibration of 2022-05-12.

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.0.6,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.3.373, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.51.7,  AstroPlan 1.30.5,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.8
  AstroVOE 1.10  AstroSN 1.8.2,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.9.1
  (AstroWeather 1.17, AstroAllSky 3.16,  AstroObsCam 1.9, AstroLaunch 1.9.1)

Highlights

•  Targets. 7 targets were successfully acquired, though cloud spoiled or prevented acquistion of the final two planned targets
•  AstroMain.   No issues / problems associated with new 3.51.7 version.
• Dome. Dome parked at correct physical problem at the end of session
   (shows that dome-recalibration carried out on 2022-05-12 has successfully resolved recent dome positioning issues).

Notes:

  Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)

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

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 00:21:21 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 00:21 & 02:13 00:21:23 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (00:21) 00:21:51 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-05-14 S01010, ImageSaveNum: 1010001) 00:21:54   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 00:23:35   Services Started Observatory Services started 00:23:42 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 00:23:43 Session Pending Session pending (2022-05-14) 00:23:45 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-05-14) 00:23:47   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.30.5) 00:24:25   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 769) 00:24:48   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 00:24:55   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 00:25:19 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 00:26:04   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 00:26:49 Session Running Session running 00:26:51   Queue Started Observing Queue started (9 targets selected) 00:26:55     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 15, HIP 73454) 00:28:34       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:31:44       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 00:33:40       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 00:33:42       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 00:35:53       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 00:37:41       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 00:37:59     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 15, HIP 73454) 00:38:51     Target Started (1/9) Target started (1/9, GCVS SS Cyg) 00:42:21       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:44:32       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 00:50:25     Target Completed Target completed (1/9, GCVS SS Cyg) 00:55:07     Target Started (2/9) Target started (2/9, GCVS BL Lac) 00:58:10       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:00:22       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 01:04:59     Target Completed Target completed (2/9, GCVS BL Lac) 01:05:13     Target Started (3/9) Target started (3/9, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 01:08:47       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:10:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 01:27:13     Target Completed Target completed (3/9, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 01:27:17     Target Started (4/9) Target started (4/9, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 01:31:53       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:47:44     Target Completed Target completed (4/9, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 01:49:13     Target Started (5/9) Target started (5/9, AT2022jrp (CV)) 01:51:28       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:54:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 01:59:50     Target Completed Target completed (5/9, AT2022jrp (CV)) 02:01:13     Target Started (6/9) Target started (6/9, AT2021agpw (CV)) 02:04:11       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:06:47       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 02:12:33     Target Completed Target completed (6/9, AT2021agpw (CV)) 02:13:13     Target Started (7/9) Target started (7/9, GCVS U Her) 02:16:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:18:02       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 02:26:35     Target Completed Target completed (7/9, GCVS U Her) 02:26:39     Target Started (8/9) Target started (8/9, AT2022iev) 02:31:14       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 02:39:57   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 02:47:27     Target Completed Target completed (8/9, AT2022iev) 02:47:29   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 02:47:31 Session Suspended Session suspended 02:48:18   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 03:17:06     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/9, UGC 11177 w/AT2021koq) due to cloud 03:17:12   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:17:16 Session Closing Session closing 03:17:21   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 02:48, closing time 50s) 03:18:10   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 40s), Az: 90.0 deg 03:19:14   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 61s) 03:19:29   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 03:19:51   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 03:20:43   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 03:20:45 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 03:20:52 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 01:21:15 Dome Dome has been stationary for more than 15 mins 01:25:00 Dome Dome Movements have begun again (outage 18.8 mins)

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Operational Issues (2022-05-14, S1010)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (0)
• Small Defects (0)
• Continuous Improvement (3)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• None

Small Defects

• None

• Include Locate Time for Near Zenith Focus Field in calculation of StartingMins.  Following implementation of improvement to include Centering of Near Zenith Focus Field (see CI, S919) the Starting Minutes variable (StartMins) used for coordinating Pre-Queue activity needs to be lengthened to reflect the extra operations involved in centering the target. ExpectedFocSlewMins value increased from 1 to 2.4 minutes in GetPreQueueActivityMins() and SetState_Equilibrating() routines. The 2.4 mins is based on 44s for the slew and 100s for the additional centering). Slew to Near Zenith normally takes 30-35s.  Starting Time already includes a 2 min overhead (which can be utilised should centering operation take longer than 100s).
  Done 2022-05-16 (AstroMain 3.51.8) 
   
• Add checkbox facility on AstroMain's Analysis/ImageSets/Reduced tab to skip the automatic opening of an object's Store Folder. With recent introduction of a new facility for identifying the target's likely last session web page it is no longer necessary to automatically put up a dialog asking if user wishes to open target's store folder and then open it.   This will speed up analysis of targets (ie the generation of pictures and documentation on session web page). The process should still check for presence of store folder and ask user permission to create one if it doesn't exist.  Checkbox added (cboxAskUserToOpenStoreFolder).
  Done 2022-05-18 (AstroMain 3.51.8) 
   
• Acquire a back up Home magnet for the Pulsar Dome. Home magnet has begun to corrode again when examined (2021-12-06) . Magnet  condition still looked acceptable when visually checked on 2022-05-12, and functioned ok, in view of successful recalibration of dome (also on 2022-05-12).  In view of the importance of magnet to calibration of the observatory Dome a backup magnet should be acquired in due course as a precaution against either eventual complete corrosion or accidental loss.  A set of 10 cylindrical magnets 10 mm x 3mm (£3.95) were purchased via Amazon on 2022-05-28 and were delivered 2022-05-31.   They were confirmed to be of the right size.    One of them will be used the next time that dome is calibrated.
  Done 2022-05-31 (Observatory, Pulsar Dome)

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2022-05-15

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