David's Astronomy Pages
Notes - Session 875 (2021-03-24)

 
Bullet Session Aims & Highlights
 - Observing Result
 - Night Summary Plot
 - Session Event Log
 
Bullet Operational Issues
  - Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (1),  Continuous Improvement (1)
Bullet Images from 2021-03-24 >>     [ Local Files >> ]
Bullet Investigation - Incorrect Reporting of Guiding Results

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-03-24)

Main aims

  1. New Cable Routing.  Continue nighttime testing of new cable routing for SBIG power cable and ZWO USB 3 cable.
  2. Targets. Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by conditions

Equipment & Software

Highlights

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan
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Observing Result
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Dome & Scope Slewing Performance
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Slew/Centering Performance
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Guiding Performance
Dec Notes : 
Run 1 (black) impacted by cloud/lost star on final 3 frames.
Run 8 (orange) impacted by periods of ineffective Dec guiding
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Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)
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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)
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Session Event Log
Time     Event Detail
19:16:28 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity starting between 19:26 & 04:00
19:26:31   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 19:26
19:26:32   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to cloud
19:52:29 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (19:52)
19:53:09 Session Created Live Session Created (2021-03-24 S00875, ImageSaveNum: 875001)
19:53:11   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox.
19:55:12   Services Started Observatory Services started
19:55:21 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode
19:55:24 Session Pending Session pending (2021-03-24)
19:55:26 Session Initiating Session initiating (2021-03-24)
19:55:28   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.21.4)
19:56:22   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 613)
19:56:36   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C)
19:56:42   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6)
19:56:53 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration
19:57:39   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 46s)
19:57:42   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started
20:03:25   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (5.8 mins total)
20:03:27 Session Running Session running
20:03:29   Queue Started Observing Queue started (28 targets selected)
20:04:33       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
20:07:44       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1)
20:09:35       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1)
20:09:38       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap)
20:11:50       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide)
20:13:37       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2)
20:13:53       Focusing Checked Foc2 Focusing Check Succeeded
20:18:56     Target Started (1/28) Target started (1/28, UGC 1436 w/SN2021nv)
20:19:06   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars)
20:20:36   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions
20:23:10       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S)
20:40:49     Target Completed Target completed (1/28, UGC 1436 w/SN2021nv)
20:40:51     Target Started (2/28) Target started (2/28, IC 357 w/AT2021fyd)
20:42:13   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars)
20:43:08       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
20:44:16       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing failed - star lost
20:47:13   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions
20:50:38   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars)
20:54:14   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions
21:00:04     Target Completed Target completed (2/28, IC 357 w/AT2021fyd)
21:00:06     Target Started (3/28) Target started (3/28, AT2021ckv)
21:03:44       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:05:46       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing failed - failed QC check (Ambiguous)
21:21:54     Target Completed Target completed (3/28, AT2021ckv)
21:21:56     Target Started (4/28) Target started (4/28, UGC 3502 w/AT2021cwc)
21:25:39       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:27:40       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5)
21:43:22     Target Completed Target completed (4/28, UGC 3502 w/AT2021cwc)
21:43:24     Target Started (5/28) Target started (5/28, LAMOST-HVS1)
21:46:57       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:49:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6)
21:52:54     Target Completed Target completed (5/28, LAMOST-HVS1)
21:53:08     Target Started (6/28) Target started (6/28, NGC 3310 w/SN2021gmj)
21:56:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
21:58:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7)
22:14:21     Target Completed Target completed (6/28, NGC 3310 w/SN2021gmj)
22:15:00     Target Started (7/28) Target started (7/28, UGC 6930 w/SN2020rcq)
22:17:33       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
22:19:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8)
22:30:46     Target Completed Target completed (7/28, UGC 6930 w/SN2020rcq)
22:32:22     Target Started (8/28) Target started (8/28, Nova Per 2020 (CV))
22:36:12       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S)
22:38:10       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9)
22:42:09   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars)
22:46:47     Target Completed Target completed (8/28, Nova Per 2020 (CV))
22:46:49   Queue Paused Queue paused For Session Suspension
22:46:51 Session Suspended Session suspended
22:47:39   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s)
22:58:06     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/28, AT2021dbp (CV)) due to cloud
23:09:58     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/28, AT2021gyc (CV)) due to cloud
23:21:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/28, GCVS DX Cnc) due to cloud
23:31:58     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/28, GCVS RZ LMi) due to cloud
23:52:20     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/28, NGC 3515 w/AT2021fmd) due to cloud
00:14:12     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/28, NGC 4227 w/SN2021biz) due to cloud
00:36:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/28, NGC 4631 w/AT2021biy) due to cloud
00:57:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/28, NGC 4165 w/SN2021gno) due to cloud
01:19:48     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/28, NGC 5018 w/SN2021fxy) due to cloud
01:41:40     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/28, IC 863 w/SN2021foa) due to cloud
02:02:52     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/28, C/2020 T2 (Palomar)) due to cloud
02:22:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/28, IC 992 w/SN2021dwg) due to cloud
02:44:21     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/28, LEDA 1634284 w/SN2021bkw) due to cloud
02:58:13     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/28, AT2021gux (CV)) due to cloud
03:18:05     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/28, AT2021dtd) due to cloud
03:29:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/28, GCVS Z And) due to cloud
03:49:16     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/28, SN 2021xn) due to cloud
04:01:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/28, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud
04:13:14     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/28, GCVS U Her) due to cloud
04:31:49     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (28/28, HIP 87937) due to cloud
04:31:54   Queue Completed Job Queue completed
04:32:01 Session Closing Session closing
04:32:06   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 22:47, closing time 50s)
04:33:23   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 68s), Az: 90.0 deg
04:34:11   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 43s)
04:34:42   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch.
04:35:33   Services Stopped Night Services stopped
04:35:35 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files)
04:35:46 Session Finished Session Finished
 
Session Alerts
Time     Alert Detail
21:32:32 Dome Dome has been stationary for more than 10 mins
21:43:28 Dome Dome Movements have begun again (outage 21.0 mins)
21:54:17 Dome Discrepency Difference between Telescope Az and Dome Az is > 8 deg (NGC 3310)

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Operational Issues (2021-03-24 S875)

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Critical Issues

Major Issues

Minor Issues

Continuous Improvement

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Investigation - Incorrect Reporting of Guiding Results

Issue:  Guiding Results were incorrectly reported for Target 2/28 (IC 357)

Description:  Each 180s image from Guide Run 2 (IC 357 w/AT2021fyd) was reported with RMS value of 125.7" (Ra 113.6", Dec 53.9") Av SNR 16.6,  13% guide, Lost 88%. which is identical to the 5th and final 180s frame from Guide Run 1 (UGC 1436).  The total Run stats for Guide Run 2 (RMS 31.3", Ra 23.6" Dec 20.7") is also identical to total stats from Guide Run 1. It seems that Guide Stats data is being initialised to null value before starting new Guide Run and presumably there were no successful guide frames from Guide Run 2 to initiate any new stats.  Guiding Chart for Guide Run 2 shows base graphics only and are devoid of any data or stats results. 

Analysis: 

Conclusion:

Action:
Image AstroMain. Fix code  (Fixed in AstroMain 3.38.11, 2021-03-30)

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