David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 902 (2021-07-24)

Notes (S901)

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Notes (S903)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (4),  Small Defects (1),  Continuous Improvement (1)
	Images from 2021-07-24 >>      [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-07-24)

Main aims

1. AstroMain.  Try out AstroMain 3.40.6, following fixes and enhancements. Check for any new issues / introduced bugs.
2. New Season.  First session following mid-summer downtime due to bright skies.
3. Targets. Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  DeviceHub 6.5.1.4,  MeadeLX200GPS / MeadeGeneric 1.3.0.344, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.5 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.9Dev4
   
• AstroMain 3.40.6,  AstroPlan 1.22.3,  AstroShCap 1.3.11, AstroGuard 1.6,   AstroVOE 1.7, AstroSN 1.5.1,  AstroProtect 1.6
  (AstroWeather 1.12.4, AstroAllSky 3.10.4, AstroObsCam 1.5.5)

Highlights

•   Autostart & StartUp.  Session started smoothly with Plan starting at 00:51 (4 mins ahead of Reference Time of 00:55, - 9.5 deg Sun Alt)
•   Cloud. Sky was cloudier than original forecast.

Notes

• AutoStart Details:
   

  AutoStart Monitoring                    2021-07-24 23:35  (Local)
    AutoStart Reference:        Info      2021-07-24 23:22  (Local, Sun Altitude -9.5 degs)
    AutoStart Window:           Info      2021-07-24 23:35  (Local, Earliest Start)
                                Info      2021-07-25 02:38  (Local, Latest Start)
    Delaying AutoStart...       Info      Unable to begin AutoStart at 23:35 due to too few stars
    Waiting...                  Info      Waiting till conditions are fully suitable for observing
  
    AutoStart Check             Ok        Conditions at 23:36 are suitable for starting an observing session
    Starting AutoStart...       Info      Starting AutoStart at 23:36

  Session Equilibration                   2021-07-24 23:40  (Local)
    Now                         Info      2021-07-24 23:40  ( -18 mins )
    Expected Shutter Opening    Info      2021-07-24 23:40  ( -18 mins ) Actual 23:40  (0 min)
    Expected Equilbrat'n Start  Info      2021-07-24 23:41  ( -17 mins ) Actual 23:40  (0 min)
    Expected Run Start          Info      2021-07-24 23:41  ( -17 mins ) Actual 23:41  (0 min)
    Expected Near-Zenith Foc1   Info      2021-07-24 23:42  ( -16 mins ) Actual 23:42  (0 min)
    Expected Near-Zenith Foc2   Info      2021-07-24 23:50  (  -8 mins ) Actual 23:48  (-2 min)
    Expected Queue Start        Info      2021-07-24 23:56  (  -2 mins )
    Plan Queue Start            Info      2021-07-24 23:58  ( On Track ) Actual 23:52  (-6 min)

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance Notes: Precision Centering of Target 1/6, BL Lac (orange) failed due to Cloud.

Guiding Performance Dec Notes : Run 1 (black) failed due to cloud/incorrect Dec Mode selection. Run 2 (black) failed due to cloud.

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)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:35:47 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:35 & 02:38 23:35:51   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 23:36:31 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:36) 23:37:03 Session Created Live Session Created (2021-07-24 S00902, ImageSaveNum: 902001) 23:37:05   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:38:48   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:38:56 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:38:58 Session Pending Session pending (2021-07-24) 23:39:00 Session Initiating Session initiating (2021-07-24) 23:39:02   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.22.3) 23:40:01   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 641) 23:40:19   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C) 23:40:25   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:40:41 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 23:41:26   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 23:41:56 Session Running Session running 23:41:59   Queue Started Observing Queue started (17 targets selected) 23:42:02     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 23:43:15       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:46:14       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 23:48:01       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:48:03       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:50:21       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 23:52:09       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 23:52:29     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 23:53:56     Target Started (1/17) Target started (1/17, AT2021dvd (CV)) 23:57:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:59:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 00:04:54     Target Completed Target completed (1/17, AT2021dvd (CV)) 00:05:48     Target Started (2/17) Target started (2/17, GCVS CI Cyg) 00:09:30       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:11:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 00:14:50     Target Completed Target completed (2/17, GCVS CI Cyg) 00:14:52     Target Started (3/17) Target started (3/17, GCVS S Cyg) 00:17:32       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:19:14       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 00:29:04     Target Completed Target completed (3/17, GCVS S Cyg) 00:29:20     Target Started (4/17) Target started (4/17, AT2021dma (CV)) 00:32:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:35:15       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 00:40:54     Target Completed Target completed (4/17, AT2021dma (CV)) 00:44:27     Target Started (5/17) Target started (5/17, Nova Per 2020 (CV)) 00:48:55       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:50:41       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 00:58:58     Target Completed Target completed (5/17, Nova Per 2020 (CV)) 00:59:00     Target Started (6/17) Target started (6/17, GCVS CY Lyr) 01:03:37       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:05:08       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 01:08:39     Target Completed Target completed (6/17, GCVS CY Lyr) 01:08:42     Target Started (7/17) Target started (7/17, 61 Cyg) 01:11:51       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:13:33       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 01:14:48     Target Completed Target completed (7/17, 61 Cyg) 01:14:50     Target Started (8/17) Target started (8/17, GCVS U Her) 01:18:28       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:20:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 01:27:32     Target Completed Target completed (8/17, GCVS U Her) 01:27:34     Target Started (9/17) Target started (9/17, HIP 87937) 01:30:23       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:32:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11) 01:34:22     Target Completed Target completed (9/17, HIP 87937) 01:34:24     Target Started (10/17) Target started (10/17, AT2021dwy (CV)) 01:38:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:40:06       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12) 01:45:45     Target Completed Target completed (10/17, AT2021dwy (CV)) 01:50:46     Target Started (11/17) Target started (11/17, GCVS BL Lac) 01:53:48       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:55:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 13) 01:59:06     Target Completed Target completed (11/17, GCVS BL Lac) 01:59:08     Target Started (12/17) Target started (12/17, GCVS HH And) 02:02:46       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:04:28       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 14) 02:06:07     Target Completed Target completed (12/17, GCVS HH And) 02:06:09     Target Started (13/17) Target started (13/17, GCVS AM Her) 02:10:10       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:11:56       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 15) 02:16:52     Target Completed Target completed (13/17, GCVS AM Her) 02:16:54     Target Started (14/17) Target started (14/17, KIC 8462852) 02:20:32       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:22:23       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 16) 02:25:56     Target Completed Target completed (14/17, KIC 8462852) 02:25:58     Target Started (15/17) Target started (15/17, AT2021dmc (CV)) 02:30:51       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:32:32       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 17) 02:38:16     Target Completed Target completed (15/17, AT2021dmc (CV)) 02:38:18     Target Started (16/17) Target started (16/17, GCVS SS Cyg) 02:41:13       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:42:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 18) 02:46:32     Target Completed Target completed (16/17, GCVS SS Cyg) 02:51:08   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 02:51:11   Queue Paused Queue pausing for Session Suspension 02:51:14 Session Suspended Session suspended 02:52:03   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 02:53:19 Session Resuming Session resuming 02:54:04   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 02:54:06 Session Running Session running 02:54:08     Target Started (17/17) Target started (17/17, WDS GRB 34) 02:54:10   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 02:54:12   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 02:55:39   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions 02:56:09   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 02:57:26       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:58:19   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions 02:58:49   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 02:59:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 19) 03:00:43     Target Completed Target completed (17/17, WDS GRB 34) 03:00:45   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 03:00:48 Session Suspended Session suspended 03:01:34   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 48s) 03:05:10 Session Resuming Session resuming 03:05:55   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 03:05:57 Session Running Session running 03:05:59     Target Started (17/17) Target started (17/17, WDS GRB 34) 03:06:01   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 03:06:03   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 03:07:15   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions 03:09:30   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 03:09:32 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 03:09:34   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 03:09:36     Target Aborted (17/17) Target aborted (17/17, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 03:09:38   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 03:09:40 Session Suspended Session suspended 03:10:25   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 03:10:29   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:10:35 Session Closing Session closing 03:10:40   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 03:10, closing time 50s) 03:11:06   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 15s), Az: 90.0 deg 03:12:12   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 59s) 03:12:27   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 03:12:47   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 03:13:37   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 03:13:39 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 03:13:56 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 23:41:44 Dome Shutter Pulsar Shutter has woken up (fresh data started at 23:41:41, outage 4,126.5mins) 00:16:03 Dome Discrepency Difference between Telescope Az and Dome Az is > 8 deg (GCVS S Cyg)

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Operational Issues (2021-07-24, S902)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (4)
• Small Defects (1)
• Continuous Improvement (1)

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Critical Issues

•  None

Major Issues

•  None

Minor Issues

• Dark Frames missing for a number of -5degC 3x3 exposures. Dark Frames not available for 1s, 2s, 60s, 90s.  Reduction completed using CCDSoft Special Reduction group using 5s, 180s & bias frame. 
    Worked around 2021-07-25 (CCDSoft)
   
• Scope Slewing plot shows several telescope slews passing across north (Az 000deg) line and one case of slewing across High Dec exclusion zone. Slew paths are shown by series straight line segments rather than more continous looking curves and pass across N line for 4 slews:  Target 5/17 (Nova Per 2020), Target 6/17 (GCVS CY lyr), Target 17/17 (WDS GRB 34) and Pre-Park. This is potentially concerning since if true it would cause cables to be wrapped around pier and potential cause cable/equipment damage. ObsCam pictures indicate that slews are normal with no indication of cables becoming wrapped around the pier.    Problem is hypothesized to relate to an occasional issue using TheSky.Utils.ConvertRADecToAzAlt() whereby it gives incorrect results (a call from more than 1 thread ?).   Scope.SlewTheSkyScope() modifed in AstroMain (3.40.7)  to call  a new 'AstroRoutines' routine  ConvertRaDecToAzAlt(), instead of Utils.ConvertRADecToAzAlt() .  Despite attempted fix the problem reoccured in session S904 (2021-08-09). Eventually fixed in AstroMain 3.40.9 (2021-08-13) by using Az/Alt values direct from Scope, rather calculating the Az/Alt from the Ra/Dec values since the RA values from the LX200GPS scope have been shown be incorrect during certain slews (with thereported RA values sometime taken the "long route" (via RA 12h) instead of the short route via RA=0h).
   Fixed 2021-08-13 (AstroMain 3.40.9) 
   
• Scope/Dome/Session details are ObsCam pictures are sometimes blank.   Details in ObsCam fields and on ObsCam frames are alternating between real data and blank data.  This has been ongoing for some time and it has been neglectful to not have fixed this issue during the mid-summer downtime . This occurs because Computer Time has drifted by more than 1 minute and a code line in AstroObsCam 1.5.5 sets TP2 record to null values if discrepency between from record time and computer time is > 1min.  Computer time resynced (running Dimension 4) as administrator, and thresholed increased to 3 mins in ObsCam 1.5.6.
   Resolved 2021-07-25 (Observatory, ObsCam 1.5.6) 
   
• Pulsar Shutter seemingly asleep at initial start of session.  Pulsar Shutter apparently asleep at start of session (23:37) according to latest ASCOm Log but quickly woke after dome had opened (23:41).  The following event was recorded at 23:41  "Pulsar Shutter has woken up (fresh data started at 23:41:41, outage 4,126.5mins)".  Issue didn't impede the start of the new session and after review (2021-08-08) decision made to monitor future sessions for reoccurances of this problem.  Closed after review (2022-05-16) as issue hasn't been seen again in the last 100 sessions.
   Closed 2022-05-16 (AstroMain) 

Small Defects

• Formatting issue with Pulsar Shutter Outage time.  The following event was recorded "Pulsar Shutter has woken up (fresh data started at 23:41:41, outage 4,126.5mins". (=2.86 days). ObsPics showed a orange traffic light against 'Dome Control, with the text note '(+4,124m)'. Format of this text should be changed to (+4124m)  or  (68.7h)  or (2.9d)
   Fixed 2021-08-08 (AstroMain 3.40.8)

Continuous Improvement

• Process Folder on Reduction Tab to copy frames to AutoRaw and flat frame to AutoMasters folder even if Dark Frame is missing. This is to facilitate reduction using Special Reduction group.  
  Note: A future enhancement would be to autocopy the bias frame and the smallest exposure and longest exposure dark frames to the AutoMasters Folder.
   Done 2021-07-25 (AstroMain 3.40.7)

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