David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 905 (2021-08-13)

Notes (S904)

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Notes (S906A)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Small Defects (2),  Continuous Improvement (4)
	Images from 2021-08-13 >>      [ Local Files >> ]
	2021-08-16
	MeadeGeneric Telescope Driver (1.3.1)

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-08-13)

Main aims

1. Targets. Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions
2. AstroMain. Test Scope Slewing graph after fix in AstroMain 3.40.9 to use Az/Alt positions direct from Telescope instead of using Az/Alt positions calculated from Ra/Dec position.

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2 2.6.10,  DeviceHub 6.5.1.4,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.0.344, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.5 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.40.9,  AstroPlan 1.22.4,  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

•   AutoMain.  AstroMain 3.40.9 worked ok following fixes to issues in previous S903 session
•   MeadeGeneric.  Telescope connection with date/time bypass proceeded ok

Notes

• None
  

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

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)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:05:54 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:05 & 03:33 23:05:57 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:05) 23:06:40   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -5°C) 23:06:42 Session Created Live Session Created (2021-08-13 S00905, ImageSaveNum: 905001) 23:06:44   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:08:26   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:08:34 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:08:37 Session Pending Session pending (2021-08-13) 23:08:39 Session Initiating Session initiating (2021-08-13) 23:08:41   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.22.4) 23:10:25   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 645) 23:10:30   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C) 23:10:36   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:10:52 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 23:11:37   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 23:11:39 Session Running Session running 23:11:41   Queue Started Observing Queue started (19 targets selected) 23:11:43     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 20, HIP 98535) 23:12:52       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:16:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 23:18:59       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:19:02       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:21:19       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 23:23:06       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 23:23:26     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 20, HIP 98535) 23:23:38     Target Started (1/19) Target started (1/19, M31 w/AT2021urk) 23:27:53       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:29:46       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 23:45:34     Target Completed Target completed (1/19, M31 w/AT2021urk) 23:49:03     Target Started (2/19) Target started (2/19, AT2021vfg (CV)) 23:52:16       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:54:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 23:59:49     Target Completed Target completed (2/19, AT2021vfg (CV)) 23:59:51     Target Started (3/19) Target started (3/19, GCVS CI Cyg) 00:05:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:07:35       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 00:11:17     Target Completed Target completed (3/19, GCVS CI Cyg) 00:11:19     Target Started (4/19) Target started (4/19, 61 Cyg) 00:14:52       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:16:25       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 00:17:54     Target Completed Target completed (4/19, 61 Cyg) 00:17:56     Target Started (5/19) Target started (5/19, KIC 8462852) 00:20:47       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:22:36       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 00:26:08     Target Completed Target completed (5/19, KIC 8462852) 00:26:10     Target Started (6/19) Target started (6/19, GCVS BL Lac) 00:30:17       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:31:58       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 00:35:31     Target Completed Target completed (6/19, GCVS BL Lac) 00:35:33     Target Started (7/19) Target started (7/19, GCVS S Cyg) 00:39:25       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:41:07       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 00:51:01     Target Completed Target completed (7/19, GCVS S Cyg) 00:51:03     Target Started (8/19) Target started (8/19, AT2021uoa (CV)) 00:54:33       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:56:15       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 01:01:57     Target Completed Target completed (8/19, AT2021uoa (CV)) 01:01:59     Target Started (9/19) Target started (9/19, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:05:27       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:07:08       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11) 01:10:46     Target Completed Target completed (9/19, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:16:07     Target Started (10/19) Target started (10/19, UGC 12188 w/SN2021ucg) 01:19:01       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:21:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12) 01:36:46     Target Completed Target completed (10/19, UGC 12188 w/SN2021ucg) 01:37:59     Target Started (11/19) Target started (11/19, Nova Cas 2021 (Nova)) 01:41:58       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:43:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 13) 01:46:48     Target Completed Target completed (11/19, Nova Cas 2021 (Nova)) 01:47:51     Target Started (12/19) Target started (12/19, NGC 7767 w/AT2021kni) 01:51:31       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 02:08:20     Target Completed Target completed (12/19, NGC 7767 w/AT2021kni) 02:09:43     Target Started (13/19) Target started (13/19, UGC 505 w/SN2021ukt) 02:13:30       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 02:30:46     Target Completed Target completed (13/19, UGC 505 w/SN2021ukt) 02:35:43     Target Started (14/19) Target started (14/19, NGC 514 w/SN2020uxz) 02:40:31       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 02:52:51     Target Completed Target completed (14/19, NGC 514 w/SN2020uxz) 02:52:54     Target Started (15/19) Target started (15/19, Nova Per 2020 (CV)) 02:55:38       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 02:58:43   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:59:28 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 02:59:30   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 02:59:32     Target Aborted (15/19) Target aborted (15/19, Nova Per 2020 (CV)) due to cloud 02:59:34   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 02:59:36 Session Suspended Session suspended 03:00:23   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 03:02:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/19, Nova Per 2020 (CV)) due to cloud 03:11:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/19, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 03:20:14     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/19, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 03:28:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/19, GCVS RX And) due to cloud 03:58:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/19, UGC 1436 w/SN2021nv) due to cloud 03:58:06   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:58:08 Session Closing Session closing 03:58:13   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 03:00, closing time 50s) 03:58:30   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 9s), Az: 90.0 deg 03:59:37   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 61s) 03:59:47   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 04:00:07   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 04:00:55   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:00:57 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:01:13 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 00:37:21 Dome Discrepency Difference between Telescope Az and Dome Az is > 8 deg (GCVS S Cyg) 01:39:24 Dome Discrepency Difference between Telescope Az and Dome Az is > 8 deg (Nova Cas 2021)

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Operational Issues (2021-08-13, S905)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (2)
• Small Defects (2)
• Continuous Improvement (4)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Unable to insert WCS Plate Solution into images from KIC 8462852 (Tabby's Star) and Nova Cas 2021 (AT2021hkn).  Attempting Insert WCS method of plate solving is failing on images with lots of stars. WHilst simple method works and image can be linked in the sky, the simple method doesn't allow access to calibrated magnitude of objects in the image which is neccessary for photometric analysis.  User workaround developed which involves opening up Source Extraction setup in CCDSoft and changing Detection Threshold from the normally used 8.0  to a more relaxed value of 30.0.  This workaround is suitable where the object of photometric interest is reasonably bright.  Whilst image will link if the object of interest is dim, the object may not have been detected during the Show Inventory stage and would therefore not lead to the generation of an associated calibrated magntiude. The User needs to remember to reset to normally used value of 8.0 afterwards.  (When the image has few stars and the object of interest is dim, it can be helpful to adjust the Detection Threshold to a smaller number (eg. 3.0) in order to get calibrated magnitude informationn on the objects. The user again needs to remember to reset to the threshold to normally used value of 8.0 afterwards).  A Continuous Improvement ticket has been added to facilitate the adjustment of the Detection Threshold setting. 
   User Workaround Found 2021-08-15 (CCDSoft)
   
• AstroObsCam still prone to locking up for up to 5s or more. AstroObsCam is recording lockups again which limits the practical achieveable frame rate, and may potentially cause ObsCam picture refresh to totally lock-up.  Fix made to AstroObsCam 1.5.7 so that  'Update to Form Fields' (ShowTeleCommData() ) is conducted by the form's LiveViewingLoop. Previously the call to ShowTeleCommData() was made by TeleComms.ParseDataRecord() which caused the TeleComms listening loop to be held up as it waited for Main UI thread to become free, or for preceeding calls to be processed.
   Fix attempted 2021-08-16 (AstroObsCam 1.5.7)

Small Defects

• Build ScopePath Table in LogFile is missing a space between "Angle value" and Ra :".  Fixed in AstroMain 3.41.1.
   Done 2021-08-16 (AstroMain 3.41.1)
   
• FIrst line of ScopePath Table in LogFile has RA: 0.0000 and Dec: 0.00 instead of showing real RA/Dec values.  First line outputs CurrentRa & CurrentDec before the variables are set. Fixed in AstroMain 3.41.1.
   Done 2021-08-16 (AstroMain 3.41.1)

Continuous Improvement

• Remove or hide 'Set Tracking Workaround' from AstroMain program. Earlier (pre 1.3) versions of MeadeGeneric telescope driver were unable to set telescope Tracking off/on and a workaround was added in AstroMain 3.40 to enable Set Tracking using CommandBlind (AL) and CommandBlind (AP).  Now that Set Tracking has been implemented and confirmed to work in MeadeGeneric 1.3.1  the workaround in AstroMain needs to be removed or otherwise hidden (i.e. not be the default action).
   Done 2021-08-16 (AstroMain 3.41)
   
•  Add button facility to AstroPlan Target History to open Session Observation Form.  .
   Done 2021-08-16 (AstroPlan 1.22.5)
   
• Add facility to more easily change the Detection Threshold used by CCDSoft's Source Extraction facility.  Whilst changing Detection Threshold value in Source Extraction Settings allows the number of detected stars to be controlled and thus allow InsertWCS to a) work in situations where there are a lot of stars in an image or b) to detect particularly faint stars where they are too many stars in image,  the method involves the manual manipulation of source extraction setup tab in CCDSoft.   It would be helpful if the Detection Threshold can be more easily set from the AstroMain program.   Eventually it might be helpful if Image Linking in AstroMain could auto-adjust the Detection Threshold to auto-optimise Image Linking / Insert WCS success based on number of Inevntory Stars.   A similar improvement was previously requested after session S817 (2020-10-08).   Proof of concept is proven :  Need to change "DETECT_THRESH" value in  'DEFAULT.sxt'  file  (note: not the 'default.sex' file which contains original defaults for CCDSoft ) held in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Software Bisque\CCDSoft Version 5\Configuration Files" folder.  Manually changing DETECT_THRESH value in  'DEFAULT.sxt' has the effect of altering the behaviour of Show Inventory and the success or otherwise of Insert WCS command during Image Linking.    This means that it will be possible to adjust the Detection Threshold by code.   It is important to note that whilst changes to 'DEFAULT.sxt' are reflected in behaviour of CCDSoft, the changes are not reflected in CCDSoft Source Extraction Settings form, until CCDSoft is restarted. It is also important that file permissions on the Default.sxt file are changed to allow Users to have Full Control over the file (changed using File Properties/Security). New button facility 'SetDetectThresh3/8/30' added to ImageSets/Special Tab to update source extraction settings file with a new Detection Threshold value.  User is required to reset Threshold back to the standard 8.0 value after finishing with alternate value (3 or 30).
    Done 2021-08-16 (AstroMain 3.41.1)
   
• Auto-adjust Detection Threshold used by CCDSoft's Source Extraction facility based on Star Count.  A new routine 'SetDetectThreshold() has been created which will update the source extraction settings file (DEFAULT.sxt) with a new Threshold value. At the moment (AstroMain 3.41.1) the routine is accessed by one of three user buttons to change threshold to either 3.0, 8.0 or 30.0. when in Analysis Program Mode.  The new feature would see the Threshold automatically change by code to adjust the source extraction process based on Star Count or reset the threshold back to standard value (8.0). Reduced Folder analysis modified to auto-adjust detection threshold in AstroMain 
   Done 2021-10-26 (AstroMain 3.45.2)  

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2021-08-16

MeadeGeneric Telescope Driver (1.3.1)

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