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Notes (S818) |
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Notes (S820) |
Session Aims & Highlights | |
- Observing Result - Night Summary Plot - Session Event Log |
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Operational Issues | |
- Critical Issues (0),
Major Issues (0),
Minor Issues (11),
Continuous Improvement (19) |
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Images from 2020-10-13 >> | |
2020-10-13 am | |
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GCN Monitoring - GRB Swift 999948 | |
2020-10-14 | |
GCN Monitoring - GRB Swift 1000255 | |
2020-10-15 | |
DeviceHub 6.5.0.1 | |
Stalled Dome Issue - Status | |
SharpCap Scripting- Notes | |
2020-10-21 | |
AstroSN - Data Source and Proof of Concept | |
Main aims
Equipment & Software
Highlights
Summary Plots & Logs
Observing Plan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Observing Result |
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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) |
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Pre-Session Weather Forecast (API data from darksky.net) Pre-Session Weather forecast showed initial wet and cloudy conditions (64-93% cloud cover), gradually improving to become failry clear from 01:00 onwards (15-23% cloud cover) Wind (13-16 mph), Minimum temperature 12°C by dawn In the event conditions were initial showery with rain at 19:00 and 21:30. Sky clear and dry between 21:40 and 01:00 allowing observing session to take place. Cloud developed rapidly at 01:10 and ended the night's observing. Rain from 03:00 to 04:40. |
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Session Event Log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Session Alerts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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17:00:21.02 | 22 REQUEST >> {"method": "get_sensor_temperature", "id": 22}
17:00:21.05 | 22 Response <<
{"jsonrpc":"2.0","error":{"code":-32601,"message":"method not
found"},"id":22}
Fixed 2020-10-14 (AstroMain 3.30.7). Guiding Started Ok Guiding started (0.0s)
Settling Begun Ok Settling started (2.3s)
Setting Done
Ok Imaging Can Commence (11.2s)
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AstroVOE program picked up a GCN/Swift Notice for a GRB Target of Interest
last night at 03:46:42 UT.
2020-10-13T03:46:42 GCN/SWIFT
NOTICE 61 Observation SWIFT_BAT_GRB_POSITION 999948 GRB_ALERT
Name: GRB Swift
999948
Trigger
No: 999948
Dec: 57.0°
Pos Error: 0.1°
Con: Lyn (Lynx)
GRB
Alt: 73.1° (Clair Observatory)
GRB
Az: 77.9° (Clair Observatory)
Sun
Alt: -23.5° (Clair Observatory)
Moon Dist 53.0°
Moon Illum: 18.6%
Observatory isn't
operating in automated mode and can't react.
Whilst the skies where unfortunately cloudy last night and the Clair
Observatory wasn't open, AstroVOE's rapid
recognition of the GRB Alert as being of interest (i.e. occuring at night time,
in a part of the sky that is accessible by the observatory telescope and with a
small positional uncertainty) is encouraging.
[
Swift Trigger and Burst
REAL-TIME Information ]
Action
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AstroVOE program picked up a GCN/Swift Notice for a GRB Target of Interest
last night at 03:46:42 UT.
2020-10-14T22:49:53 GCN/SWIFT NOTICE 61 Observation SWIFT_BAT_GRB_POSITION
1000255 GRB_ALERT
Name: GRB Swift 1000255
Trigger No: 1000255
Dec: 27.7°
Pos Error: 0.1°
Con: Psc (Pisces)
GRB Alt: 58.2° (Clair Observatory)
GRB Az: 150.5° (Clair Observatory)
Sun Alt: -39.7° (Clair Observatory)
Moon Dist 139.0°
Moon Illum: 5.3%
Observatory isn't operating in automated mode and can't react.
Whilst the skies were unfortunately cloudy last night and the Clair
Observatory wasn't open, AstroVOE again recognised the GRB Alert as being of interest (i.e. occuring at night time,
in a part of the sky that is accessible by the observatory telescope and with a
small positional uncertainty).
AstroVOE program picked up a further GCN/Swift Notice for a GRB Target of
Interest at 2020-10-15 22:50:32 UT
2020-10-15T22:50:32 GCN/SWIFT NOTICE 61 Observation SWIFT_BAT_GRB_POSITION
1000452 GRB_ALERT
Name: GRB Swift 1000452
Trigger No: 1000452
Dec: 53.4°
Pos Error: 0.1°
Con: Cas (Cassiopeia)
GRB Alt: 82.9° (Clair Observatory)
GRB Az: 243.1° (Clair Observatory)
Sun Alt: -40.1° (Clair Observatory)
Moon Dist 124.5°
Moon Illum: 1.2%
Observatory isn't operating in automated mode and can't react.
The forecast wasn't good for the night and the observatory wasn't set to an operation state (AutoStart not running). Whilst there were some clear patches between 20:10 UT and 22:30 UT, at the time of GRB (22:50 UT) the sky had clouded over again.
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A new version of DeviceHub
was installed today (2020-10-15) which offers some improved trapping and logging
of exceptions during dome slaving calculations. Version 6.5.0.1 is a
pre-release of the ASCOM 6.5 SP1 version of DeviceHub which might help to
identify what is causing the 'Stalled Dome' issue that has affected
several sessions since moving over to using DeviceHub instead of POTH. It is
hoped that the information collected from further incidents of the issue will
help identify a future fix or other remedy.
There was some concern over
the possibility of problems due installing the new 6.5.0.1 version on older
ASCOM 6.4 SP1 platform (neither Observatory Computer and Development Computer
have been moved to 6.5 platform yet) but it seems to have installed ok and
tests show it to be operating working.
The full list of changes in
6.5.0.1 are
https://github.com/ASCOMInitiative/ASCOMDeviceHub/releases/tag/6.5.0.1
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2020-10-15 DeviceHub 6.5.0.1. A new version of DeviceHub was installed which offers some improved trapping and logging of exceptions during dome slaving calculations. Version 6.5.0.1 is a pre-release of the ASCOM 6.5 SP1 version of DeviceHub which might help to identify what is causing the 'Stalled Dome' issue that has affected several sessions since moving over to using DeviceHub instead of POTH. It is hoped that the information collected from further incidents of the issue will help identify a future fix or other remedy.
2020-10-15 AstroMain 3.30.7. A new version of AstroMain (the observatory's control program) can now identify the Stalled Dome situation and send appropriate Alert Messages. This uses a function 'Dome.TestForStalledDome' to run a couple of quick tests to confirm conclusively whether the Dome Driver/Dome Slaving is stalled or not. A routine "Restart DeviceHub" can be run via a button function to restart the DeviceHub application, including managing the disconnection of observatory telescope/dome clients and reconnecting those clients again afterwards. (The RestartDeviceHub isn't automatically run for the time being in order that activity log messages can be manually copied and saved for later problem investigation and diagnosis)
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Pause/UnPause LiveStacking
SharpCap.LiveStacking.Parameters.Paused = True
... dither ...
... wait at least one frame to avoid stacking dithered frame ...
SharpCap.LiveStacking.Parameters.Paused = False
Tell of LiveStacking is open or not
SharpCap.LiveStacking.IsActive
Name of Last Image Captured
SharpCap.GetLastCaptureFilename()
File Path to Dark Frame to subtract
print
SharpCap.SelectedCamera.Controls.Find(lambda x: x.Name == "Subtract Dark").Value
Set Dark Frame for Pre-Processing 'Subtract Dark'
SharpCap.SelectedCamera.Controls.Find(lambda x: x.Name == "Subtract
Dark").Value
= "C://Data//ZWO Imaging//SharpCap//2020-10-20
TEST//darks//Test Camera 1 (Deep
Sky)//RAW16@3096x2080//2.0s//gain_150//dark_10_frames_2020-10-20T17_28_19.fits"
Camera.Controls for ZWO ASI178MC camera
Capture Format and Area : [Colour Space], [Capture Area],
[Binning], [Output Format], [Debayer Preview], [Pan], [Tilt],
Camera Controls : [Exposure], [Gain],
[Temperature],
More :
[Frame Rate Limit], [Flip], [Turbo USB], [High Speed Mode],
[Hardware Binning],
Image Controls :
[Brightness], [White Bal (R)], [White Bal (B)],
[Timestamp Frames]
Misc Controls :
[Mono Bin], [Auto Exp Target Brightness], [Auto Exp Max Exp M S],
[Auto Exp Max Gain]
PreProcessing :
[Subtract Dark], [Apply Flat], [Banding Suppression], [Banding
Threshold]
Display Histogram: [Display Black
Point], [Display MidTone Point], [Display White Point],
[Gamma],
Others:
[ST4 Guide Port], [Notes], [ASCOM Pegasus UPB Focuser],
[Overclock]
Capture Area - Available Values
print SharpCap.SelectedCamera.Controls.Find(lambda x: x.Name == "Capture Area").AvailableValues
>> List[str](['3096x2080', '3096x1560', '2320x2080', '2320x1560',
'2080x2080', '1920x1200', '1920x1080', '1600x1200', '1560x1560',
'1544x2080', '1544x1040', '1280x1024', '1040x1040', '1024x768', '800x600',
'768x520', '640x480', '320x240', 'Custom...'])
ResolutionList = SharpCap.SelectedCamera.Controls.Find(lambda
x: x.Name == "Capture Area").AvailableValues
print ResolutionList[0]
>> 3096x2080
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AstroSN is a proposed new AstroSuite application, which is to provide fast automated access to new Supernova and other transient objects are offer them up to AstroPlan/AstroMain as Targets of Opportunity, that could be automatically inserted in the observing queue. It work in a manner not dissimilar to AstroVOE which monitors the NASA GCN for reatime GRBs and can organise the automatic submission of a GRB for fast reaction observing should the observatory be open.
Step 1 : Data Source
The initial proposed data source for Active SN is the Rochester Supernova
website, and in particular the html document
http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/snimages/snactive.html
which is meant
to be a list where active objects can be more easily found that the full page .
It is also meant so that it can easily be parsed by automated programs.
Quick assessment indicates the document contains a number of html errors that
might confuse strict parsing. <label> tags closed by </lable>.However data is
organised sufficiently well that that data can be accessible for moving to
the second line that contains the keyword '<table' . Then Skipping the first
table row <tr>
and then read tables until </table> is reached.
rows are in form <tr><td><a href="../supernova.html#2020urz"
target="_self">AT2020urz</a></td><td>anonymous</td><td>17:54:59.990</td><td>-21:22:40.10</td><td>0.0
</td><td>11.1</td><td>2020/10/02</td><td>Nova?</td><td>n/a</td><td>11.1</td><td>2020/10/02</td><td>2020/10/02</td><td>BraTS</td><td>BraTS-SON-T2-020</td></tr>
Step 2 : Proof of Concept Program
Instead of
building a custom html parser an online search suggested that the package
HtmlAgilityPack had the necessary tools for parsing the web document
https://www.nuget.org/packages/HtmlAgilityPack/
After extracting the .DLL and referencing it from a new Visual Studio Project
'AstroSN' it was quickly established that the data in the web page could be read
and manipulated.
Copies of AstroVOE files added to the project as existing
items, and a Test Button/Routine into which an online example of code using
HtmlAgilityPack was included. The code was edited to reference the required web
page and a couple of other edits made to allow it to run/pull data from html
document.
try
Dim web As New HtmlWeb()
Dim doc
As HtmlDocument =
web.Load("http://www.rochesterastronomy.org/snimages/snactive.html")
' Get all tables in the document
Dim tables As
HtmlNodeCollection = doc.DocumentNode.SelectNodes("//table")
' Iterate all rows in the first table
Dim rows As
HtmlNodeCollection = tables(2).SelectNodes("//tr")
For i As
Integer = 0 To rows.Count - 1
' Iterate
all columns in this row
Dim cols As
HtmlNodeCollection = rows(i).SelectNodes("//td")
For j As Integer = 0 To cols.Count - 1
' Get the value of the column and print it
Dim value As String = cols(j).InnerText
MessageBox.Show(value)
Next
Next
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show("Error: " + ex.Message)
End Try
Update: 2021-02-14
Since the proof of concept program was
built the program has been built into a fully working application (AstroSN 1.4)
that is run manually ahead of each new session. New Supernova of sufficient
brightness/interest are loaded into Targets Database and then automatocally
incorporated in the night's observing plan. Other objects, suhc as bright CV
outbursts are also loaded to the database. Data loaded including
discovery date allow time since discovery to be easily calculated for any later
observations. This aid documentation of obsrevations on website.
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This Web Page: | Notes - Session 819 (2020-10-13) |
Last Updated : | 2024-09-30 |
Site Owner : | David Richards |
Home Page : | David's Astronomy Web Site |