David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 685 (2019-08-26)

Notes (S684)

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Notes (S686)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (3),  Continuous Improvement (7)
	Images from 2019-08-26  >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2019-08-26)

Main aims

1. Mixed Targets - Image selection of targets including Variable Stars, Comets and Deep Sky Targets
2. Software & Systems  - Check stability of software and presence of any side effects following ongoing enhancements to AstroMain and associated support programs.

 
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 3.10.4,  Astroguard 1.2.3,   AstroPlan 1.9.2, AstroVOE 1.3.1   (AstroWeather 1.7.3, AstroAllSky 3.4 )

Highlights

• Session ran successfully for the whole night. All target successfully completed.

Lowlights

• None

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

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 (AstroWeather 1.7.3) (clear skies forecast for entire night)

Session Event Log

Time   Event Detail 20:42 Session Created Live Session Created (2019-08-26 S00685, ImageSaveNum: 685001) 20:45 Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 20:45 Services Started Observatory Services started 20:46   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -5°C) 20:47 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 20:47 Session Pending Session pending (2019-08-26) 20:47 Session Initiating Session initiating (2019-08-26) 20:47   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan () 20:51   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-08-26 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 323) 20:52   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -5°C) 20:52   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 21:40 Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 21:40 Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 21:47 Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (7.2 mins total) 21:47 Session Running Session running 21:47   Queue Started Observing Queue started (29 targets selected) 21:47     Target Started (1/29) Target started (1/29, NGC 5660) 21:50     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:52     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 22:08     Target Completed Target completed (1/29, NGC 5660) 22:09     Target Started (2/29) Target started (2/29, NGC 5689) 22:12     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:28     Target Completed Target completed (2/29, NGC 5689) 22:29     Target Started (3/29) Target started (3/29, HAT-P-18) 22:31     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:33     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 22:42     Target Completed Target completed (3/29, HAT-P-18) 22:43     Target Started (4/29) Target started (4/29, 68P/Klemola) 22:45     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:53     Target Completed Target completed (4/29, 68P/Klemola) 22:56     Target Started (5/29) Target started (5/29, NGC 6664) 22:58     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:00     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 23:05     Target Completed Target completed (5/29, NGC 6664) 23:06     Target Started (6/29) Target started (6/29, Abell 55) 23:08     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:11     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 23:25     Target Completed Target completed (6/29, Abell 55) 23:26     Target Started (7/29) Target started (7/29, 61 Cyg) 23:28     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:30     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 23:32     Target Completed Target completed (7/29, 61 Cyg) 23:33     Target Started (8/29) Target started (8/29, GCVS SS Cyg) 23:35     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:37     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 23:41     Target Completed Target completed (8/29, GCVS SS Cyg) 23:47     Target Started (9/29) Target started (9/29, HIP 87937) 23:53     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:55     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 23:58     Target Completed Target completed (9/29, HIP 87937) 23:58     Target Started (10/29) Target started (10/29, GCVS CY Lyr) 23:59     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:01     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 00:05     Target Completed Target completed (10/29, GCVS CY Lyr) 00:05     Target Started (11/29) Target started (11/29, NGC 973) 00:13     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:15     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 00:31     Target Completed Target completed (11/29, NGC 973) 00:31     Target Started (12/29) Target started (12/29, NGC 5602) 00:54     Target Completed Target completed (12/29, NGC 5602) 00:54     Target Started (13/29) Target started (13/29, UGC 11798) 01:15     Target Completed Target completed (13/29, UGC 11798) 01:15     Target Started (14/29) Target started (14/29, GCVS EV Lac) 01:17     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:20     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 01:22     Target Completed Target completed (14/29, GCVS EV Lac) 01:22     Target Started (15/29) Target started (15/29, GCVS Z And) 01:24     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:27     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11) 01:30     Target Completed Target completed (15/29, GCVS Z And) 01:31     Target Started (16/29) Target started (16/29, GCVS HH And) 01:32     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:35     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12) 01:36     Target Completed Target completed (16/29, GCVS HH And) 01:36     Target Started (17/29) Target started (17/29, GCVS RX And) 01:39     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:41     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 13) 01:44     Target Completed Target completed (17/29, GCVS RX And) 01:44     Target Started (18/29) Target started (18/29, IC 5285) 01:48     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:50     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 14) 02:07     Target Completed Target completed (18/29, IC 5285) 02:07     Target Started (19/29) Target started (19/29, WDS GRB 34) 02:08     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:10     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 15) 02:12     Target Completed Target completed (19/29, WDS GRB 34) 02:12     Target Started (20/29) Target started (20/29, NGC 522) 02:15     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:31     Target Completed Target completed (20/29, NGC 522) 02:33     Target Started (21/29) Target started (21/29, GSC 1224:29) 02:36     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:41     Target Completed Target completed (21/29, GSC 1224:29) 02:43     Target Started (22/29) Target started (22/29, GCVS BL Lac) 02:46     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:48     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 16) 02:52     Target Completed Target completed (22/29, GCVS BL Lac) 02:52     Target Started (23/29) Target started (23/29, Pal 13) 02:56     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:58     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 17) 03:04     Target Completed Target completed (23/29, Pal 13) 03:04     Target Started (24/29) Target started (24/29, NGC 3) 03:08     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:10     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 18) 03:26     Target Completed Target completed (24/29, NGC 3) 03:26     Target Started (25/29) Target started (25/29, NGC 450) 03:28     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:45     Target Completed Target completed (25/29, NGC 450) 03:48     Target Started (26/29) Target started (26/29, GCVS U And) 03:50     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:52     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 19) 04:02     Target Completed Target completed (26/29, GCVS U And) 04:02     Target Started (27/29) Target started (27/29, C/2018 W2 (Africano)) 04:18     Target Completed Target completed (27/29, C/2018 W2 (Africano)) 04:18     Target Started (28/29) Target started (28/29, PLN 190-17.1) 04:20     Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:22     Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 20) 04:37     Target Completed Target completed (28/29, PLN 190-17.1) 04:37     Target Started (29/29) Target started (29/29, GCVS RR Tau) 04:37 Queue Completed Job Queue completed 04:37 Session Closing Session closing 04:38 Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 44s) 04:38 Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 11s) 04:39 Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 45s) 04:41 Session Finished Session Finished

Cloud Sensor Plot for 2019-08-26, S685 (clear skies for entire night - showing the forecast is sometimes right !)

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Operational Issues (2019-08-26, S685)

• Critical Issues (0)
  
• Major Issues (0)
  
• Minor Issues (3)
• Continuous Improvement (7)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Unable to find/move Night Summary plot from Observatory using AutoMove. This was attempted at SunAlt -3deg (5:45) and therefore before the Summary Plot had been completed  (file might still have been written to) and certainly before it had been archived to G Drive. Will try again after sunrise, in meantime file can be copied manually.
  Resolved (2019-08-27). File copied ok at 06:40
   
• Weather Forecast Chart plotted in early morning are missing bar fill for next the Night.
  Done 2019-08-27 (AstroWeather 1.7.4)
   
• Check centre position of Z And images from this session and see if the N/W offsets are optimise.  A quicklook suggested that a key reference or check star is too close to edge of FOV.  Investigating showed that the C2 reference star is indeed close to edge but is not used in vma2 .  The C1 reference star and K check star are ok. To allow for possible future use of C2 the West offset could be increased by 1.0 arc min.
  Resolved 2019-08-31. Z And's  West (W) Offset increased in Target database from 3.5' to 4.5'

Continuous Improvement

• Create a button/routine in AstroMove to transfer copies of VWS, CS and ObsEnv data files from Observatory to Laptop10 Local Files folder
  Done 2019-08-27 (AstroMove 1.3)
   
• Create a graph type that plots 18h or 36h Temperature data.
  Done 2019-08-27 (AstroWeather 1.7.5). Graph 23 shows 16 hours of temperature data. (5 sources)
   
• Draw AllSky Horizon Line and Compass Direction using Anti-Alias. Use graphics.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.AntiAlias to get smooth circle , smooth lines rather than jagged lines. This follows on from the successful use of this technique for drawing smooth Wind Arrrow on AstroWeather's Weather Forecast charts.
  Done 2019-08-27 (AstroAllSky 3.4.1)
   
• Include Wind Direction on Weather Forecast Plot
  Done 2019-08-27 (AstroWeather 1.7.5).
   
• Save copies of 8h graphs every few hours to AllSky Session's Weather Folder.  Requirement considered but decided that it is not necessary since  AstroMove can easily transfer Ws, Cs & ObsEnv files to the Laptop10 computer allowing retropsective graphs to be made as required.
  Closed Oct 2019 (AstroWeather/AstroMove)
   
• Extend post-operation message from CopyFilesForAnalysis2 macro to indicate what photometric data folders have been created (3x3 only, or 3x3 & 2x2)
  and/or add indicator whether 2x2 folder exists for current sessions in VMA analysis window
  Done 2019-09-09 (AstroMain 3.11.1).
   
• Investigate feasibility of option to autocrop Plan and Session Charts to reduce post-session manual tasks
  Done 2019-09-16 (AstroPlan 1.10.2).

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