David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 906 (2021-08-22)

Notes (S906A)

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Notes (S907)

	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 (5)
	Images from 2021-08-22 >>        [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2021-08-22)

Main aims

1. 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 2.6.10,  DeviceHub 6.5.1.4,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.1.361, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.5 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.41.2,  AstroPlan 1.22.5,  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 1.5.7)

Highlights

•   Targets. Only 4/24 targets were completed with 1 other target partially completed.
•   Haze/Cloud.  Conditions deteriorated after 4th target with haze along horizon and thin cloud.  Not helped by full moon, that lit up the haze/cloud and made the sky particularly bright. Clarity around 24-25 and AllSky Stars dropping to 3-10.

Notes:

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 19:04:13 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 21:31 & 03:30 21:31:32   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 21:31 21:31:33   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to cloud 22:03:25 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (22:03) 22:04:07   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C) 22:04:09 Session Created Live Session Created (2021-08-22 S00906, ImageSaveNum: 906001) 22:04:11   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 22:05:50   Services Started Observatory Services started 22:05:57 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 22:06:00 Session Pending Session pending (2021-08-22) 22:06:02 Session Initiating Session initiating (2021-08-22) 22:06:04   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.22.5) 22:06:45   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 647) 22:06:48   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -10°C) 22:06:53   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 22:07:04 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 22:07:50   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 46s) 22:07:53   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 22:09:00   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (1.2 mins total) 22:09:02 Session Running Session running 22:09:04   Queue Started Observing Queue started (24 targets selected) 22:09:06     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 22:10:08       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:13:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 22:14:50       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 22:14:54       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:17:11       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 22:19:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 22:19:20     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 22:21:00     Target Started (1/24) Target started (1/24, NGC 4896 w/SN2021wad) 22:26:17       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 22:43:34     Target Completed Target completed (1/24, NGC 4896 w/SN2021wad) 22:46:52     Target Started (2/24) Target started (2/24, NGC 5513 w/AT2021wqi) 22:49:58       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 23:03:57   UPB.Switch Restart UPB.Switch has been restarted. 23:06:42     Target Completed Target completed (2/24, NGC 5513 w/AT2021wqi) 23:06:44     Target Started (3/24) Target started (3/24, GCVS R CrB) 23:10:22       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:11:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 23:14:49     Target Completed Target completed (3/24, GCVS R CrB) 23:14:51     Target Started (4/24) Target started (4/24, GCVS U Her) 23:18:25       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:19:55       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 23:27:29     Target Completed Target completed (4/24, GCVS U Her) 23:27:32     Target Started (5/24) Target started (5/24, VV 807 w/AT2021fbu) 23:30:37   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 23:31:06       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 23:32:37 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 23:32:39   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 23:32:41     Target Aborted (5/24) Target aborted (5/24, VV 807 w/AT2021fbu) due to cloud 23:32:43   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 23:32:45 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:33:32   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 23:43:42     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/24, VV 807 w/AT2021fbu) due to cloud 00:05:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/24, NGC 6184 w/AT2021wkv) due to cloud 00:27:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/24, NGC 7767 w/AT2021kni) due to cloud 00:42:34 Session Resuming Session resuming 00:43:19   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 00:43:21 Session Running Session running 00:43:23   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 00:43:25     Target Started (8/24) Target started (8/24, UGC 505 w/SN2021ukt) 00:51:25   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 00:51:27 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 00:51:29   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 00:51:31     Target Aborted (8/24) Target aborted (8/24, UGC 505 w/SN2021ukt) due to cloud 00:51:33   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 00:51:35 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:52:15   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s) 01:07:45     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/24, GCVS SS Cyg) due to cloud 01:16:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/24, GCVS Z And) due to cloud 01:24:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/24, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 01:43:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/24, NGC 940 w/SN2021vtl) due to cloud 01:59:10     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/24, Nova Cas 2021) due to cloud 02:06:42     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/24, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 02:16:02     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/24, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 02:25:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/24, 2 Pallas) due to cloud 02:41:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/24, 15P/Finlay) due to cloud 02:56:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/24, 2019 L3 (ATLAS)) due to cloud 03:10:11     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/24, Nova Per 2020) due to cloud 03:27:11     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/24, 17P/Holmes) due to cloud 03:47:03     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/24, UGC 3240 w/AT2021vau) due to cloud 03:58:13     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/24, GCVS RX And) due to cloud 04:10:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/24, GCVS U And) due to cloud 04:30:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/24, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 04:30:44   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 04:30:50 Session Closing Session closing 04:30:55   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 00:52, closing time 45s) 04:31:26   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 23s), Az: 90.0 deg 04:32:39   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 66s) 04:32:54   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 04:33:15   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 04:34:02   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:34:04 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:34:10 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 23:03:57 UPB.Switch disconnected UPB.Switch has unexpectedly disconnected. Restart will be attempted 23:03:59 UPB.Switch UPB.Switch has been successfully restarted.

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Operational Issues (2021-08-22, S906)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (4)
• Small Defects (1)
• Continuous Improvement (6)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Create 'Bad' folder leads to unexpected report line ('False') being generated.  Report line is unnecessary/inappropriate and should be removed.
   Fixed 2021-08-22   (AstroMain 3.41.4).
   
• Free Disk Space on Development Computer's C:/ drive is down to just 26 GB, need to release some space. The Windows Disk function 'Clear Disk Space' is able to free up a little space, but it is gradually becoming an issue that will slow down computer performance and give rise to critical issue if free-space drops below that required for working operations.   The addition of Scope Pics, ObsCam pictures, ObsPic etc in particular means that sessions can now each occupy around 0.3 GB of disk space, which gradually mounts up.  Proposal is to move older sessions onto the D:/ drive into a new folder called 'CCD Session Archive'.  On 2021-08-25 sessions S526 to S699 (186 sessions, total 120 GB) were moved to D:/ drive. This increased the free space on C:/drive from only 26 GB to a new comfortable value of 146 GB.  A separate improvement ticket has been raised to modify AstroMain so that Analysis/Reduction operations can work with Sessions folders spread across both C:/ and D:/ drives.
   Fixed 2021-08-25   (Development Computer).
   
• Potential issue could be caused by having a SetUpFolders routine in both ObsConsole and Setup objects. Investigate what both functions do, where they are called from and understand if one of the functions can be removed or renamed.  The routine in SetUp objects wasn't being called from anywhere and is removed, leaving just one SetUpFolders in ObsConsole.
   Resolved 2021-11-08 (AstroMain 3.46.1)
   
• Job Executor reporting 'Session Status   Hold    Session suspended (due to non-defined reason (25))'.  High Humidity checking was disabled at the time so High Humidity is not the undefined reason.   '(25)' is indicative of possible issue with Clarity. Number of Current AllSky Stars (12) is less than the Star Number Threshold (17).  Considered Fixed in AstroMain 3.50.5 by adding an appropriate condition check that can lead to ReasonToSuspend = FailureState.TooFewStars .
  Fixed  2022-05-09 (AstroMain 3.51.5) 

Small Defects

• AllSky Meas (Clear/Cloud) not appearing on Take Image report line.  Code to add the Current AllSkyCam Measurement (Clear/Cloud) to Take Image report line was introduced in AstroMain 3.41.2,  but it doesn't seem to be working or is being blocked in someway.  Fixed AstroMain 3.41.3.
   Fixed 2021-08-22   (AstroMain 3.41.3).

Continuous Improvement

• Add new column (T+days) to AstroPlan's Must Include Form.  New column to be added to show the number of days since discovery of object of interest (normally a transient).  If Discovery Date is blank then T+days cell will be either blank or '-'.   (StrDaysSinceDiscovery() is used which returns '-' if discovery date is blank).  Unable to get the new column header to have MiddleCenter alignment (it stubbornly remain align to MiddleLeft).
   Done 2021-08-22 (AstroPlan 1.22.6)
   
• AstroMove's 'Copy Source Files to Observatory' routine to report the Program version being copied.
   Done 2021-08-22 (AstroMove 1.7.5)
   
• Add 'Conditions' report section with Near Zenith Focusing routine. This can use/copy the code that ExecuteTarget already use.
   Done 2021-08-22   (AstroMain 3.41.3).
   
• Allow AstroMain routines (Analysis, Reduction, VMA etc) to operate on sessions held on D:\drive as well as C:\ drive. This will allow C drive space to be reclaimed whilst keeping the data online.  In progress in AstroMain 3.41.4 (2021-08-23).
   Done 2021-08-25   (AstroMain 3.41.4).
   
• Allow AstroMove's utility to Close C:\Data folders to also close D:/ folders.
   Done 2021-08-26   (AstroMove 1.7.6).
   
• Add new capability to create Spectral Images with a Dec Drift to widen Star Spectra for highlightening any fine lines. This will involve a) adding a SpecialMode to Targets to AstroPlan & Database, b) adding a SpecialMode enum object to AstroPlan & AstroMain with values like GuideYSlow, GuideYMedium, GuideYFast, c) adding Guide Y Rate Setting to AstroMain (rates for Slow,Medium and Fast guiding in Y direction (ie Dec), d) adding 'Slant' Angle that is used to generate GuideX speed, e) adding LockShift handling based on Special Mode. Improvement is on hold pending review of the value of the new feature vs the significant work required. An accidental image taken on 2021-10-21 that was generated by the wind shifting the telescope during a short (0.11s) exposure of Vega in session S926D (2021-10-20) shows the kind of spectra picture that implementation of this Improvement would produce (see Fig 1 below).
    On Hold  (AstroPlan, AstroDatabase, AstroMain).

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