David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 977 (2022-02-26)

Notes (S976)

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Notes (S978)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Small Defects (5),  Continuous Improvement (6)
	Images from 2022-02-26 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-02-26)

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.  Check bug fixes and new improvements in AstroMain 3.50.4.

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.5.1.9,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.3.373, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.5 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.50.4,  AstroPlan 1.29.11,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.7
  AstroVOE 1.9.2  AstroSN 1.7.3,  AstroProtect 1.6,  AstroMove 1.8.6
  (AstroWeather 1.16.3, AstroAllSky 3.15.1,  AstroObsCam 1.8, AstroLaunch 1.8.3)

Highlights

•  Targets.  x targets acquired before sky clouded over.
•  AstroMain.  No issues associated with using new AstroMain 3.50.4 version.
•  Wind.  High wind speed affected several images and necessiated finishing the session early

Notes:

• Images affected by variying degress of wind shake
  
  

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance Reasons for poor Dec guiding : Black/Purple points (none)   Red point (9) - Non-effective Dec Guiding (South), large Dec spike with guide corrections move guide star to wrong side of zero line. Red point (10) - Non-effective Dec Guiding (South) Orange targets () - Two points with poorly effective Dec Guiding (South), some dec spikes / overcorrection.

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 20:19:38 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 20:19 & 05:03 20:19:42 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (20:19) 20:20:10 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-02-26 S00977, ImageSaveNum: 977001) 20:20:12   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 20:21:55   Services Started Observatory Services started 20:22:01 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 20:22:04 Session Pending Session pending (2022-02-26) 20:22:06 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-02-26) 20:22:08   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.29.11) 20:22:59   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 735) 20:23:22   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 20:23:29   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 20:23:53 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 20:24:38   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 20:25:08 Session Running Session running 20:25:10   Queue Started Observing Queue started (33 targets selected) 20:25:13     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 7, HIP 34070) 20:27:00       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:30:32       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 20:33:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 20:33:37       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 20:35:49       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 20:37:36       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 20:37:54     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 7, HIP 34070) 20:37:58     Target Started (1/33) Target started (1/33, GCVS U And) 20:42:16       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:44:31       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 20:55:50     Target Completed Target completed (1/33, GCVS U And) 20:55:54     Target Started (2/33) Target started (2/33, GCVS DY Per) 20:58:40       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:01:06       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 21:06:18     Target Completed Target completed (2/33, GCVS DY Per) 21:06:22     Target Started (3/33) Target started (3/33, GCVS AM CVn) 21:10:03       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:12:23       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 21:15:27     Target Completed Target completed (3/33, GCVS AM CVn) 21:15:32     Target Started (4/33) Target started (4/33, UGCA 292) 21:18:26       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 21:34:33     Target Completed Target completed (4/33, UGCA 292) 21:34:53     Target Started (5/33) Target started (5/33, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 21:37:38       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 21:54:33     Target Completed Target completed (5/33, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 21:56:53     Target Started (6/33) Target started (6/33, NGC 5273 w/AT2022csj) 21:59:40       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 22:15:51     Target Completed Target completed (6/33, NGC 5273 w/AT2022csj) 22:18:53     Target Started (7/33) Target started (7/33, NGC 5732 w/SN2021agpf) 22:21:24       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:23:40       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 22:39:53     Target Completed Target completed (7/33, NGC 5732 w/SN2021agpf) 22:40:53     Target Started (8/33) Target started (8/33, 19P/Borrelly) 22:45:01       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 22:53:20     Target Completed Target completed (8/33, 19P/Borrelly) 22:54:46     Target Started (9/33) Target started (9/33, NGC 3683 w/AT2022azb) 22:58:12       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 23:14:47     Target Completed Target completed (9/33, NGC 3683 w/AT2022azb) 23:16:46     Target Started (10/33) Target started (10/33, UGC 9083 w/AT2021buk) 23:20:00       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:22:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 23:39:12     Target Completed Target completed (10/33, UGC 9083 w/AT2021buk) 23:39:16     Target Started (11/33) Target started (11/33, UGC 10566 w/SN2022aab) 23:42:28       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 23:58:35     Target Completed Target completed (11/33, UGC 10566 w/SN2022aab) 00:00:46     Target Started (12/33) Target started (12/33, NGC 1233 w/SN2022bqi) 00:04:32       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 00:21:00     Target Completed Target completed (12/33, NGC 1233 w/SN2022bqi) 00:22:46     Target Started (13/33) Target started (13/33, GCVS GK Per) 00:25:36       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:28:18       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 00:31:51     Target Completed Target completed (13/33, GCVS GK Per) 00:32:03     Target Started (14/33) Target started (14/33, Nova Per 2020) 00:34:52       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:37:19       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 00:38:39 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 00:38:40     Target Completed Target partially completed (14/33, Nova Per 2020) 00:38:42   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 00:38:44 Session Closing Session closing 00:39:39   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 00:40:54   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 68s), Az: 90.0 deg 00:42:18   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 77s) 00:42:33   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 00:42:55   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 00:43:51   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 00:43:53 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 00:44:04 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 22:55:43 Dome Discrepency Difference between Telescope Az and Dome Az is > 8 deg (NGC 3683)

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Operational Issues (2022-02-26, S977)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (2)
• Small Defects (5)
• Continuous Improvement (6)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Constellations reported for non-sidereal targets can be incorrect. Constellation reported for Comet and Minor Planet targets (as shown in report file and on TargeInfo Chart) appears to be directly taken from the Targets database (Target.Con field) and can therefore be incorrect/out of date.  This was the case for Target 8/33 (19P/Borrelly) which was reported to be in constellation GRU (Grus) rather than being in ARI (Aries). Constellation of target has to be either recalculated and stored in the database prior to target retrieval (prehaps during observing plan creation in AstroPlan) or recalculated in AstroPlan above database retrieval. Fix implemented in AstroMain by calling 'Con = GetConstellationFromRaDec(T.Ra2000, T.Dec2000) ' after calculating current target coords in ObservingDB.RetrievePlan() and FetchToO() routines.  A separate project should look at whether to keep database Ra/Dec and Constellation continuously up to date or not and whether to extend Observation and PlanObservation tables to include a 'Con' field.
  Fixed 2022-02-27  (AstroMain 3.50.5)
   
• Weather Station's wind direction sensor is playing up with some directions not being detected and with direction regular defaulting back to 0. Problem was suspected last week but was hidden by the recent issue with frequent and protracted outages in data communication between wind sensor and base station. It is probable that the issue goes further back in time.   The sensor is meant to measure 16 directions and did so when a new replacement sensor was added in Sep 2019 (see New Wind Sensor WGR800X, 2019-09-07), but like the original 8-direction sensor the number of detectable directions has seemingly dropped off.  Main wind graphs changed to show the Weather API current wind direction instead of sensor direction. A quick checks suggest that the wind sensor model might no longer be availlable to order. Issue placed 'on-hold' following review on 2022-03-30.  WGR800X is not currently available, but the WGR800 model from WeatherSpares.co.uk is available (price £75 +).  Ticket closed. The Observatory now uses the Current Wind Direction for the Observation location as derived from OpenWeather's API (Online) Source.
  Closed (WeatherStation/Wind Sensor). 

Small Defects

• Full Constellation name not being shown/reported for GRU. Fixed by adding 'GRU - Grus' to ListBox on Constellation form.
  Fixed 2022-02-27  (AstroMain 3.50.5)
   
• Dump of Dome Slew Point data to logfile for slow dome slews and reporting of fact in ReportFile (but not marking on on SlewTable , with D*)  unexpectedly occcured for 5 targets.  DomePath dump unexpectedly called for 5 targets (NGC 5117 and 4 others) which has dome slew speeds > 1°/s.   DomePath dump didn't happen however for 1 target (DY Per) where dome speed was < 1°/s, amd where DomePath was expected based on the code version being used for the session (3.50.4).  Bug found and fix (code was referencing Me.LastSlewSpeed (ie Scope) instead of Dome.LastSlewSpeed).
  Fixed  2022-02-27  (AstroMain 3.50.5)
   
• Dump of Dome Slew Point data to logfile for slow dome slews and reporting of fact in Report file and marking in the SlewTable (D*) needs to taken into account slew angle/slew time.  Very short slews may report slow slew speeds simply because of the short (approximated) time used to calculate those speeds.   It is proposed to only dump slow speed date for dome slews taking longer than 15s.
  Fixed 2022-02-27  (AstroMain 3.50.5)
   
• Night's final AllSky.LatestImage.an.jpg picture is being saved at SunAlt -2° instead of SunAlt -5°.  New code introduced in AstroAllSky 3.15.1 to stop AllSky picture creation & uploading when Sun Altitude lies above -5°, however LatestImage.an.jpg is still slipping through. Defect located in code section run when FinalNightImages is True and fixed to include required condition Dawn5 = False.
  Fixed 2022-02-27  (AstroAllSky 3.15.2)
   
• Weather symbols on Weather Forecast plot are frequently empty when windspeeds is greater than 26 mph.  Instead on a wind symbol that some onlne weather forecasts might use, it is more appropriate to utilise a symbol that is related to cloud cover & time of day.
  To fix 2022-02-27 (AstroWeather)

• Query: Target Info for 19P/Borrelly shows constellation GRVU and shows it without a full name. What is GRU ? and why isn't the full name displayed for constellation.   Report log also show GRU and likewise shows a blank full name.  The comet is currently in ARI (Aries) so reporting constellation as GRU (Grus) is a defect.   GRU (Grus) is shown in Target Form in AstroPlan, which simply reflects the constellation the comet had when the Target was entered into the database or last saved. Whilst current coordinates of comet are calculated in AstroPlan during creation of Observing plan and again when Target is retrieved Constellation isn't updated and is taken direct from the out of date value in the database.  Separate 'Minor Issue' and 'Defect'  ticket items have been raised to address the issues exposed by this query.
  Investigated 2022-02-27  (Session)
   
• Add a DawnDusk5 Altitude setting to AstroAllSky. Following new code introduced in AstroAllSky 3.15.1 to stop AllSky picture creation & uploading when Sun Altitude lies above -5°, it is appropriate to make this a non-coded value by providing user adjustable setting so that a different Altitude can be used. Implemented using a new field (txtDawnDusk5Altitude) and a new array variable (SU.DawnDusk5Altitude). The new setting is also used to set FinalNightImage flag to True when the morning Sun Altitude reaches within 0.2 deg of the DawnDusk5Altitude which then allows an 'Imaging has suspended notice to the night's final AllSky images'.
  Done 2022-02-27  (AstroAllSky 3.15.2)
   
• Targets name on Atlitude Plan Plot to Show TargetDisplayNameLite instead of just the basic target name.   This is to align the naming on the AltitudePlan plot with that used on ObservingPlan and ObservingResults plots.
  Done 2022-02-27  (AstroPlan 1.29.2)
   
• Disqualify high altitude targets from Observing Plan when wind strengths are high.  Targets lying in or close to the direction of high wind strength are already disqualified from the observing plan but targets at high altitude can also be affected by wind shake due to the uncertainity on actual orientation of dome aperature when telescope is pointing to high altitude. These should be disqualified as well.    Implemented as an extra code section in GetAzimuthScore() routine which disqualifies a potential target observation when target altitude > 75° and azimuth is within twice the normal wind exclusion zone.
  Done 2022-02-27  (AstroPlan 1.29.2)
   
• Make WindSpeed Threshold a user changeable setting. After raising wind speed threshold it has become evident that the setting needs to be changeable so that threshold can be reset according to perceptions about wind forecast, risk level, and the impact of wind on image quality.  Threshold setting entry field is placed on More/Obs Tab for time being. Default value is 18.   Settings changes back to default if program is restarted.
  Done 2022-02-27  (AstroAllSky 3.15.2)
   
• Add number of targets to Observing Database that haven't been imaged since 8"LX200+ST7E images in pre-2009 (including Caldwell Objects).  Images of certain objects in certain catalogs can be significantly improved upon if object was reimaged using 12" LX200 + ST10,  longer exposures and better processing/display.  10 Caldwell objects added to a new Caldwell program,  11 Herschel objects also added to existing Herschel 400 program (+ 2 objects included in Caldwell program.
  Done 2022-02-27 (AstroPlan/TargetsDatabase)

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