David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 655 (2019-02-01)

Notes (S654)

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Notes (S656)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (4),  Major Issues (5),  Minor Issues (5),  Continuous Improvement (2)
	Investigation : Session Suspension Issue
	Images from 2019-02-01  >>
	Aurora Images/Video from 2019-02-01 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2019-02-01)

Main aims

1. Targets. Acquire images of a range of targets (comets, variable stars, nearby stars and deep sky objects) during a night of expected very good weather conditions
2. Software. Test AstroMain 3.8.5 program to confirm recent fixes working and check for any newly introduced issues
   
3. Stability. Continue confirmation of robust Observatory System (hardware & software combined)

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  POTH Hub
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
   
  
• AstroMain 3.8.5 AstroPlan 1.6.2

Highlights

• Images.  Of the 60 targets on the nigjht's observing plan , x targets were successfully imaged
  
•  Lock-Down procedure worked well when a Net FrameWork Exception Window was unexpectedly found after remotely logging into the Observatory Computer at daybreak.   Screen captures were taken as each window / application was systematically revealed & examined. The check confirmed that the session had run to completion and shutdown procedures ( dome, telescope, camera)  had all completed ok.   The source of the Exception Window and its details were successfully captured.

 Lowlights

• None

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan (2019-02-01, S655)

Observing Result (2019-02-01, S655)

Night Sky Summary Plot - 2019-02-01, S655 Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Session Event Log (2019-02-01, S655)

Time     Event Detail 17:29:54 Session Created Live Session Created (2019-02-01 S00655, ImageSaveNum: 655001) 17:30:39   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 17:30:46   Services Started Observatory Services started 17:33:48   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:34:08   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 17:35:15 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:35:19 Session Pending Session pending (2019-02-01) 17:35:20   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan () 17:37:58 Observatory (Manual) Observatory placed in Manual Mode 17:41:08 Session Resumed Live Session Resumed (2019-02-01 S00655, ImageSaveNum: 655001) 17:41:42   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 17:42:04 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:42:08 Session Pending Session pending (2019-02-01) 17:42:09   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan () 17:45:34   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-02-01 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 262) 17:45:50   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 17:45:53   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:51:55 Observatory (Manual) Observatory placed in Manual Mode 17:52:17 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:52:18 Session Pending Session pending (2019-02-01) 17:52:19   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-02-01 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 262) 17:52:22   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 17:52:24   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:55:25 Session Resumed Live Session Resumed (2019-02-01 S00655, ImageSaveNum: 655001) 17:55:35   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 17:55:54   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 17:56:00   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:56:18 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:56:22 Session Pending Session pending (2019-02-01) 17:56:23   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-02-01 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 262) 17:56:25   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 17:56:27   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:57:16   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 17:57:17   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 18:02:21   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (5.1 mins total) 18:02:22   Queue Started Observing Queue started (39 targets selected) 18:02:23     Target Started (1/39) Target started (1/39, GCVS EV Lac) 18:08:11     Target Completed Target completed (1/39, GCVS EV Lac) 18:11:26       Focusing Started (Foc1) Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:14:48       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 18:20:06     Target Completed Target partially completed (2/39, GCVS Z And) 18:26:15     Target Completed Target completed (3/39, GCVS HH And) 18:32:26     Target Completed Target completed (4/39, WDS GRB 34) 18:32:27     Target Started (5/39) Target started (5/39, GCVS U And) 18:45:43     Target Completed Target completed (5/39, GCVS U And) 18:54:27     Target Completed Target completed (6/39, GCVS DY Per) 19:11:54     Target Completed Target partially completed (7/39, GCVS GK Per) 19:20:59     Target Completed Target completed (9/39, GCVS DX Cnc) 19:24:13       Focusing Started (Foc1) Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:27:58       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 19:41:43     Target Completed Target partially completed (10/39, 46P/Wirtanen) 20:04:45 Session Resumed Live Session Resumed (2019-02-01 S00655, ImageSaveNum: 655117) 20:05:15   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 20:05:36   Services Started Observatory Services started 20:05:59   Services Stopped Observatory Services stopped 20:06:07   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 20:06:14   Services Started Observatory Services started 20:06:38 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 20:06:39 Session Pending Session pending (2019-02-01) 20:06:40 Session Initiating Session initiating (2019-02-01) 20:06:41   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-02-01 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 262) 20:06:53   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -30°C) 20:06:56   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 20:07:47   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 20:07:48   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 20:07:49   Queue Started Observing Queue started (28 targets selected) 20:07:50     Target Started (12/39) Target started (12/39, NGC 201) 20:18:51     Target Completed Target partially completed (12/39, NGC 201) 20:38:19     Target Completed Target completed (13/39, NGC 936) 20:54:13     Target Completed Target completed (14/39, NGC 1084) 20:57:53       Focusing Started (Foc1) Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:01:07       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 21:15:38     Target Completed Target completed (15/39, NGC 1999) 21:23:09   Dome Port Changed Dome Port changed from COM9 to COM14 21:23:36     Target Completed Target completed (16/39, GCVS FO Ori) 21:27:40       Focusing Started (Foc1) Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:32:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 21:34:37     Target Completed Target partially completed (17/39, GCVS RR Tau) 21:44:08     Target Completed Target completed (18/39, GSC 1224:29) 21:52:07     Target Completed Target partially completed (19/39, GCVS NV Ori) 22:02:30     Target Completed Target partially completed (20/39, GCVS U Mon) 22:02:31     Target Started (21/39) Target started (21/39, GCVS SY Cnc) 22:09:17     Target Completed Target completed (21/39, GCVS SY Cnc) 22:09:18     Target Started (22/39) Target started (22/39, GCVS FU Ori) 22:12:25       Focusing Started (Foc1) Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:15:54       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 22:19:06     Target Completed Target partially completed (22/39, GCVS FU Ori) 22:27:37     Target Completed Target completed (23/39, GCVS U Gem) 22:37:59     Target Completed Target partially completed (24/39, GCVS RZ LMi) 22:38:00     Target Started (25/39) Target started (25/39, GCVS AM CVn) 22:47:04     Target Completed Target completed (25/39, GCVS AM CVn) 22:53:52     Target Completed Target completed (26/39, LAMOST-HVS1) 23:04:56     Target Completed Target completed (27/39, GCVS CN Leo) 23:17:49     Target Completed Target completed (28/39, NGC 1907) 23:28:33     Target Completed Target completed (29/39, GCVS SU Tau) 23:36:43     Target Completed Target completed (30/39, GCVS CN Ori) 23:36:44     Target Started (31/39) Target started (31/39, NGC 2628) 23:56:47     Target Completed Target completed (31/39, NGC 2628) 00:03:32     Target Completed Target completed (32/39, GCVS ER UMa) 00:06:03     Target Started (33/39) Target started (33/39, 38P/Stephan-Oterma) 00:16:56     Target Completed Target completed (33/39, 38P/Stephan-Oterma) 00:27:44     Target Completed Target completed (34/39, C/2015 O1 (PANSTARRS)) 00:28:01     Target Started (35/39) Target started (35/39, NGC 1528) 00:41:15     Target Completed Target completed (35/39, NGC 1528) 01:00:36     Target Completed Target partially completed (36/39, IC 983) 01:00:37 User Interventation User Interventation in order to close session 01:00:50 Session Closing Session Closing (Manual) 01:01:49   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 63,684,666,109s) 01:03:21   Camera1 Disconnected SBIG Camera closed down & disconnected 01:03:51   Services Stopped Observatory Services stopped 01:03:58 Program Closed Program closed by User 01:04:00 Session Finished Session Finished (Manual)

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Operational Issues (2019-02-01, S655)

• Critical Issues (4)
  
• Major Issues (5)
• Minor issues (5)
• Continuous Improvement (2)

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Critical Issues

• Computer unexpectedly rebooted itself during session.   Computer appeared to crash at 20:00, this was midway through the acquisition of images of UGC 118.   AstroProtect automatically commanded the closure of the Dome Shutter upon restart at 20:02.  Reason for the issue is unknown.  Event viewer records a Kernal-Power Type ID 41 critical event / BugCodeCheck 209.
  
  Issue is difficult to address without new information.  Problem persisted through Q1 2019,  but reduced in occurance in Q2-Q3.
  AstroProtect software was introduced 2019-02-06 to provide protection to the observatory in the event of a computer reboot.
    Monitor Issue for increase in frequency / patterns etc. Closed (Nov 2020) as no recent occurances of this problem.
    
• Dome roof unexpectedly closed itself at ~ 20:50.  Dome closed began closing at 20:48:27. The ASCOM Trace Log shows that there was no preceding command to Close Dome coming through from any of the clients using POTH.Dome.  Command to Reopen Shutter came at 20:55:58 (this was performing my manually intervening to  open shutter using POTH.Hub
    Resolved (2019) by changing the relay configuration & settings.
    
• Dome Rotation Motor Heads slipping and not rotating the Dome roof when it sits in certain positions. This is second time this problem has occured. The new occurance was first noticed in yesterday's session.  Issue was evident from extra long slew times (up to 13min) from perception over remote link, and  with slow stop/start motion seen in Obs.Viewer for certain targets
    Resolved (during the session) by tightening the Tension Adjustment knob on the Dome Rotation Drive.
  (Update: Code added in 2020 to stop any unfinished dome slews after 3 minutes)
   
• Unable to enter Observatory due to frozen lock.  Resolved at the time by pouring hot water onto the door handle / lock. However this adds extra mositure that can freeze the lock again a few minutes later (outside temperatures -5degC)   Problem has occured 2 nights in a row.  Consider options to prevent this issue.   (thick insultating wrap ?1.  Dew Heater Band (inside door handle) ?, daytime drying out/heater) Based on behaviour of lock under normal non-freezing conditions over 2019-2020 the handle/lock has to be at a certain position before the lock can be turned.  No problem during 2019/2020 winter.
    Closed (Nov 2020) on there was no reoccurance of the problem over 2019/2020 winter.

Major Issues

• Condensation inside telescope tube, and to some extent on outside of front lens freezing and causing poor image quality with dim, and/or over bloated stars.   Unable to turn dew heater more than 50% due to the voltage loss problem. This is the first dew/condensation problem is a few months.   Problem resolved at time by using a hairdryer to heat the front lens.   May need to dry out the interior during daytime with desicator and heating.
    Resolved by drying out interior with desicator sack,    New heavy duty (AWG16) power cable installed 2019-04-22 to allow dew heating up to 100% power.
   
• HFD 'Fast Focusing'  needs to abort the refocus attempt in star is not found or is too dim when doing initial locate image
  Fixed 2019-02-02 (AstroMain 3.8.6)
   
• Freezing Fog.  Fog/Haar gradually encroached from the North Sea lying to SE and East of the observatory.  Observatory is set to automatically close if Humidity reaches 98%+.  (this can be overridden on manual basis).
  Fix attempted 2020 (AstroMain)
   
• Dome Parked at wrong position. After finishing the session (including Parking the Dome via POTH.Dome) the Observatory was quickly checked and the Dome was found to be lying around 25degs from its normal park position.  The Dome's azimuth was the correct for the Park Position it was just that physically the dome was in the wrong place. Performing a Home, followed by a new Park didn't fixed the problem. It is unclear what caused the dome's knowledge of its position to get lost or drift. No issues where noticed during the session itself, but there have been recent problems with the Rotation Motor Head not having sufficient tension to drive the dome.
  Resolved 2019-02-02 (Dome was re-calibrated via the 'Calibrate'  option in Dome Controller's Settings menu)
   
• In the event that AstroMain freezes or crashes whilst observatory is unattended there is a risk than continued telescope tracking could lead to cables  wrapping around the pier/mount with potential damage to observatory equipment ( telescope, cameras)
    Resolved 2019-02-12. New functionality has been added to AstroGuard (v1.1) that now allows it to continously monitor the scope position and slew the scope to a safe position if appropriate (see AstroGuard - Telescope Protection (2019-02-12) )

Minor issues

• Unable to navigate down any directory trees on AllSky Computer over remote connection.  Problem persisted even after performing a computer reboot.   Shortcuts to folder locations work, but can't navigate downwards (navigating upwards is not a problem). Is this purely a problem over remote connection  (suggesting an overzealous KasperSky Security.Protection or a windows permission issue) or whether the problem persists when accessing the computer directly.  Folders can be accessed & navigated ok over the LAN Network when tried the following day
  Resolved 2019-02-02  (the problem resolved itself)
   
• Need Alternate Means to trigger the reopening of the Dome, when it has been closed by an invalid/inappropriately working Relay.  After a unexpectedly Dome Closure Event whilst Observatory is operating in a Fully Automated, but attended Mode it is not possible to use the Open Dome button in AstroMain (A message says that the operation can't be carried out whilst Observatory is in Automated Mode).   The  current routes to reopening the dome are a) Set the Mode to Manual which aborts the Job Queue, and b)  Open the Shutter using Poth.Hub window.  The first is slower whilst the later doesn't trigger any weather validation that should take place by the Obs.Manager
  Resolved (workaround added in AstroMain). Underlying problem resolved by setting Relay Delay from 0s to 30s.
   
• Number of stars recognised and labelled on AllSky images is lower than it should be, particularly in second half of night.  Perform an AllSky Camera recalibration using images across a wide range of LST.   Fixed in 2020.
  Fixed 2020
   
  
• Monitor file records only part of the session. Last proper record was at 19:59:26. A part record was also written at 20:04:45.   This was around the time the Computer Crashed and Software had to be restarted.   File may have been left in a state that it couldn't then be written to ?.  
  Resolved . Closed (Nov 2020) as no recent occurance of this problem.
   
• Dome Port Changed at 21:23 from COM9 to COM14. AstroMain program . Workaround added to track changes in COM Port and reset the objDome to use new COM port when a change is detected.
    Workaround Provided  (Date?)
  

Continuous Improvement

• Redo NV Ori as a large multi-frame observation in C or R filter with long exposure
  (subject to issue with bright offset stars. Aim is to capture nebulosity is detail. Prepare and add  NV Ori  Observation aimed at nebulosity rather than the variable star alone
  Closed (Nov 2020)
   
• Design & build new Excel Macro that will automatically import the appropriate data into Session's Summary workbook. This includes data from (monitor), (slew), (raw pointing),  (guide), (focus) & (timings),  (pointing) & (summ)  files
    Done 2019-02-04 (Excel Macro 'LoadDataFiles' created and tested )

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Investigation : Session Suspension Issue

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