David's Astronomy Pages
Notes - Session 716 (2019-10-26)

 
Bullet Session Aims & Highlights
 - Observing Result
 - Night Summary Plot
 - Session Event Log
 
Bullet Operational Issues
  - Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (5),  Continuous Improvement (0)
 
Bullet Images from 2019-10-26  >>
 
Bullet Investigation - Soft Suspend at 21:57
 

Session Aims & Highlights (2019-10-26)

Main aims

  1. AstroMain:  Test new code that suspends session if 'AllSkyStars' count falls below 20 and only resumes session if 'AllSkyStars' exceeds 24 or stays above 20 for 8 minutes.
  2. Targets: Acquire images of a selection of new targets plus monitoring of previous variable stars, nearby stars and comets.
    (Wind and or cloud was expected to end the session at some point)

Equipment & Software

Highlights Image

Lowlights Image

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan
Image
  
Observing Result
Image
   
Slew/Centering Performance
Image
  
Dome Slewing Performance
Image
  
Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)
Image
  
Night Sky Summary Plot
Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s)
Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)
Image   
  
Pre-Session Weather Forecast (AstroWeather 1.7.8)
Forecast showed patchy cloud up to 00:00 and then cloud thickeneing until total cloud cover at 04:00
In the event therre was a moderately clear interval between 23:00 and 00:45.
Operations suspended at 23:42 and remained that way until the morning  
Image   
  
Session Event Log
Time     Event Detail
20:37:27 Session Created Live Session Created (2019-10-26 S00716, ImageSaveNum: 716001)
20:37:49   Scope Switched On Scope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox.
20:38:02   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started
20:38:04   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started
20:38:08   Services Started Observatory Services started
20:39:24   Services Started Observatory Services started
20:42:15 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode
20:42:19 Session Pending Session pending (2019-10-26)
20:42:21 Session Initiating Session initiating (2019-10-26)
20:42:23   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.12.8)
20:43:34   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2019-10-26 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 404)
20:43:47   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C)
20:43:52   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6)
20:44:06 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration
20:44:51   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s)
20:44:54   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started
20:48:57   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (4.1 mins total)
20:48:59 Session Running Session running
20:49:01   Queue Started Observing Queue started (43 targets selected)
20:50:10       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
20:52:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1)
20:52:13     Target Started (1/43) Target started (1/43, GCVS V Sge)
21:01:02     Target Completed Target partially completed (1/43, GCVS V Sge)
21:01:05     Target Started (2/43) Target started (2/43, WDS GRB 34)
21:03:53       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:05:41       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2)
21:07:20     Target Completed Target completed (2/43, WDS GRB 34)
21:07:22     Target Started (3/43) Target started (3/43, 61 Cyg)
21:10:19       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:12:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3)
21:13:27     Target Completed Target completed (3/43, 61 Cyg)
21:13:29     Target Started (4/43) Target started (4/43, GCVS BL Lac)
21:15:56       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:17:54       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4)
21:22:04     Target Completed Target completed (4/43, GCVS BL Lac)
21:22:06     Target Started (5/43) Target started (5/43, GCVS CI Cyg)
21:24:18       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:26:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5)
21:30:02     Target Completed Target completed (5/43, GCVS CI Cyg)
21:30:04     Target Started (6/43) Target started (6/43, GCVS FG Sge)
21:32:35       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:34:35       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6)
21:37:07     Target Completed Target completed (6/43, GCVS FG Sge)
21:37:09     Target Started (7/43) Target started (7/43, NGC 7479)
21:39:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:41:24       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7)
21:57:45     Target Completed Target completed (7/43, NGC 7479)
21:57:47   Queue Paused Queue paused for SoftSuspend
21:57:49   Queue Resumed Queue resumed after SoftSuspend (0s)
21:57:51     Target Started (8/43) Target started (8/43, M39). Using SharpCap
21:57:53 Session Suspended Session suspended
21:58:38   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 48s)
22:03:09 Session Resuming Session resuming
22:03:54   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s)
22:03:56 Session Running Session running
22:03:58   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed
22:05:06     Target Completed Target completed (8/43, M39)
22:09:57     Target Started (9/43) Target started (9/43, NGC 7814). Using SharpCap
22:20:40     Target Completed Target completed (9/43, NGC 7814)
22:26:39     Target Started (10/43) Target started (10/43, C/2018 N2 (ASASSN))
22:29:42       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star is too dim (TCF-S)
22:38:16     Target Completed Target completed (10/43, C/2018 N2 (ASASSN))
22:40:24     Target Started (11/43) Target started (11/43, GCVS RX And)
22:42:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
22:44:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8)
22:46:49     Target Completed Target completed (11/43, GCVS RX And)
22:47:54     Target Started (12/43) Target started (12/43, GCVS U And)
22:50:18       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
22:52:08       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9)
23:02:38     Target Completed Target completed (12/43, GCVS U And)
23:02:40     Target Started (13/43) Target started (13/43, GCVS GK Per)
23:05:12       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
23:07:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10)
23:10:16     Target Completed Target completed (13/43, GCVS GK Per)
23:10:18     Target Started (14/43) Target started (14/43, GCVS SS Cyg)
23:12:59       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
23:16:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11)
23:20:18     Target Completed Target completed (14/43, GCVS SS Cyg)
23:23:43     Target Started (15/43) Target started (15/43, NGC 7243). Using SharpCap
23:34:09     Target Completed Target completed (15/43, NGC 7243)
23:36:05     Target Started (16/43) Target started (16/43, GCVS Z And)
23:38:36       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
23:41:01       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12)
23:44:53     Target Completed Target completed (16/43, GCVS Z And)
23:44:55     Target Started (17/43) Target started (17/43, GCVS HH And)
23:46:42       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
23:49:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 13)
23:50:55     Target Completed Target completed (17/43, GCVS HH And)
23:51:29     Target Started (18/43) Target started (18/43, GCVS DY Per)
23:55:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
23:57:03       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 14)
00:01:58     Target Completed Target completed (18/43, GCVS DY Per)
00:02:00     Target Started (19/43) Target started (19/43, GCVS CM Tau)
00:04:10       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star is too dim (TCF-S)
00:09:02 User Intervention User request to close and finish session
00:09:04     Target Completed Target partially completed (19/43, GCVS CM Tau)
00:09:06   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted
00:09:09 Session Closing Session closing
00:09:57   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 44s)
00:10:06   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 9s)
00:10:18   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 10s)
00:11:01 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files)
00:11:16 Session Finished Session Finished
   

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Operational Issues (2019-10-26, S716)

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Critical Issues

Major Issues

Minor Issues

Continuous Improvement

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Investigation - Soft Suspend at 21:57

This review looks at the performance of the AstroMain program to soft suspend event at 21:57.

Time Line

21:37:09  Target 7/43 (NGC 7479) started
21:52:51  AllSkyStars falls below 20.  (start of 9.5 min period below 20)
21:54:39  Cloud comes over the active target (NGC 7479), as shown by 5th & final 180s frame
21:57:45  Target 7/43 (NGC 7479) completed.  AllSky Measurement records 'Moderate Cloud'
21:57:45  Job Executor waiting for bSoftSuspend to clear in order to proceed to next target
21:57:47  Queue Paused for soft suspend. 
21:57:49  Queue resumed after SoftSuspend   (bSoftSuspend must have gone to false
21:57:51  'Below 20 starts'  alert  ('5 mins' after AllSkyStars fell below 20)
21:57:51  Target 8/43 (M39) started.
21:57:51  Session Suspended (shutter commanded to close)
21:57:49  Session State changes to suspended
21:58:03  CloudSensor reaches min. value of 32.7
21:58:38  Shutter Closed (48s)
21:59:29  SharpCap commanded to take 30x10s frames (LiveStack
22:02:17  AllSkyStars rises to 20+
22:03:09  Session Resuming (shutter commanded to open)
22:03:54  Shutter Open (45s)
22:03:56  Session Running
22:04:54  AllSkyStars rises to 24+
22:05:06  Target 8/43 (M39) completed
22:07:31  AllSkyStars falls below 20  (start of 2.5 min period below 20)
22:09:05  AllSkyStars rises to 20+    (stops  'below 20 stars' alert from occuring)

Code Review

SoftSuspend initiated by the following code in Main Obs.Manager loop.

If (ConditionsDeteriorating() Or (objConsole.cboxSuspendWhenStarsUnder20.Checked And Env.AllSkyStarCheck = SkyState.Bad))
     And bSoftSuspend = False Then

   bSoftSuspend = True
   bSoftSuspendOk = False
End If

where ConditionDeteriorating becomes True under the conditions described below :

If Synopsis.Valid And Synopsis.ShutterSafety = acShutterCanOpenWithCaution Then

  If Synopsis.CriticalRainThreat = ThreatLevel.Warning And CloudSensorData.Clarity < 24 Then
     Return True
  ElseIf AvClarity_5min1 < 28 And AvClarity_5min2 < 28 And AvClarity_5min2 < AvClarity_5min1 - 1 And AvClarity_1min < 26 Then
     Return True
  End If
End If

Since Clarity didn't drop below 32.7 throughout the SoftSuspend could only have been triggered by 'Env.AllSkyStarCheck' going to SkyState.Bad

if StarCount < 20 Then
 If MinutesSince(TimeStarsSub20) > 5 Then
    Return SkyState.Bad
 End If

End If

Conclusions

The most-like sequence of events was
- 21:52: 51  Obs.Manger raises SoftSuspend flag when AllSkyStars fell below 20 as determined from reading Env.AllSkyStarCheck property
                     this was a moment before the 'TimeStarsSub20' timepoint was set by Env.AllSkyStarMonitor (thereby missing the intended 5 mins grace period).
- 21:57:47  Job Executor pauses queue paused after finishing the active target (NGC 7479) after seeing the SoftSuspend flag raised.
                    SoftSuspendOk raised to acknowledge that SoftSuspend flag had been seen
- 21:57:48  Obs.Manager sees that the SoftSuspendOk flag is raised, and set's session state to suspended
                    SoftSuspend flag is lowered
- 21:57:49  Job Executor sees that the SoftSuspend flag is lowered and unpauses the queue.
                    Job Executor begins to execute next Target (M39) just before session state changes to suspended.

Actions:

- Modify the way that 'Env.AllSkyStarState' is set, to ensure any time delays are implemented before publishing change in sky state.
- Delay lowering of SoftSuspend flag until after the session has entered the Suspended State.

 

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