David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1124 (2023-07-30)

Notes (S1123)

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Notes (S1125)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (0),  Small Defects (0),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	Images from 2023-07-30 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2023-07-30)

Main aims

1. Dome Slews.  Check dome slewing for a successful fix to the issue in S1123 session whereby dome slews weren't going to correct azimuths. Fix involved a recalibration of the Pulsar Dome Rotation system on 2023-07-22.
2. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.1.1,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.11dev4, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2, ASCOM 6.6 SP1
   
• AstroMain 3.62.5, AstroPlan 1.38.1,   AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13  AstroSN 1.10,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.12.3
  (AstroWeather 1.21.1, AstroAllSky 3.19.1,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.10.9 (1.11.1 on Dev Computer)

Highlights

• Dome Pointing.  Following issue with dome point in last session S1123 (2023-07-22) and the recalibration of the dome pointing on 2023-07-23 the dome pointing was ok during the S1124 session, and the dome was successfully parked at its correct position.
• Targets. Whilst 15/15 targets were recorded as completed the images from 7 targets were rejected due to being out of focus
• Dome Slews. Two dome slews were effected by significantly hold-ups including one where the hold up was 204s indicating that issue with dome slew rotation hasn't been totally resolved by the changes made by the 'fix' on 2023-07-22.  (Hold Up Stats:2/13 slews affected, 15%, 4.1 minutes total hold-up time). 
• Focusing. Initial wide range focusing on the Near Zenith Focus Field failed (failed QC check) and images from first 7 targets were all significantly out of focus and had to be later rejected. Issue to be fixed.

Notes:

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan All targets were recorded as either completed , however images from first 7 targets were later rejected.as they were significantly out of foucs. Scope was automatically focused ahead of V Sge and the last 5 targets were accepted.

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 22:28:41 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 22:40 & 02:39 22:28:44   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 22:40 22:40:50   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 23:27:15 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:27) 23:27:44   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 23:27:57 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2023-07-30 S01124, ImageSaveNum: 1124001) 23:28:24   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:30:03   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:30:10 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:30:12 Session Pending Session pending (2023-07-30) 23:30:14 Session Initiating Session initiating (2023-07-30) 23:30:16   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.38.1) 23:30:53   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 897) 23:31:15   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -10°C) 23:31:52   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 23:32:16 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 23:33:01   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 23:33:16 Session Running Session running 23:33:19   Queue Started Observing Queue started (12 targets selected) 23:33:22     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 23:33:35       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 23:38:48       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:41:09       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing failed (failed QC check - Range) 23:41:11       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:43:06       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 23:44:48       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:45:05     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 19, HIP 93376) 23:46:42     Target Started (1/12) Target started (1/12, M101 w/SN2023ixf) 23:52:19       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 23:59:42   SBIG Camera Take Image failed (Command timed-out) 23:59:45   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (attempt to fix locked thread) 23:59:50   SBIG Camera Reset SBIG Camera being power-cycled 00:00:32   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -10°C) 00:01:01   SBIG Camera Take Image command accepted (bSbigDriverException flag is reset) 00:10:36     Target Completed Target completed (1/12, M101 w/SN2023ixf) 00:10:40     Target Started (2/12) Target started (2/12, NGC 5297 w/AT2023mlt) 00:15:24       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 00:32:35     Target Completed Target completed (2/12, NGC 5297 w/AT2023mlt) 00:32:39     Target Started (3/12) Target started (3/12, UGC 9350 w/SN2023nny) 00:37:29       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 00:54:26     Target Completed Target completed (3/12, UGC 9350 w/SN2023nny) 00:54:30     Target Started (4/12) Target started (4/12, C/2019 T4 (ATLAS)) 00:57:51       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 01:06:06     Target Completed Target completed (4/12, C/2019 T4 (ATLAS)) 01:07:14     Target Started (5/12) Target started (5/12, HIP 87937) 01:08:36     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 248.2° (Delay 43s) 01:11:09       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:13:42     Target Completed Target completed (5/12, HIP 87937) 01:15:37     Target Started (6/12) Target started (6/12, AT2023cvz (CV)) 01:18:32       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:24:26     Target Completed Target completed (6/12, AT2023cvz (CV)) 01:27:37     Target Started (7/12) Target started (7/12, AT2023cur) 01:30:01       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:46:26     Target Completed Target completed (7/12, AT2023cur) 01:49:37     Target Started (8/12) Target started (8/12, GCVS V Sge) 01:53:08       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:56:00       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 01:58:29       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 02:06:26     Target Completed Target completed (8/12, GCVS V Sge) 02:06:30     Target Started (9/12) Target started (9/12, GCVS BL Lac) 02:10:39     Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 162.0, 163.1° (Total delay 205s) 02:17:00     Target Completed Target completed (9/12, GCVS BL Lac) 02:17:04     Target Started (10/12) Target started (10/12, GCVS Z And) 02:20:06       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:22:10       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 02:27:03     Target Completed Target completed (10/12, GCVS Z And) 02:27:07     Target Started (11/12) Target started (11/12, NGC 513 w/AT2023jpp) 02:30:01       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:32:11       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 02:48:13     Target Completed Target completed (11/12, NGC 513 w/AT2023jpp) 02:48:35     Target Started (12/12) Target started (12/12, M33 w/AT2023nou) 02:51:24       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:53:40       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 03:09:37     Target Completed Target completed (12/12, M33 w/AT2023nou) 03:09:40   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:09:42 Session Closing Session closing 03:10:32   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s) 03:11:00   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 20s), Az: 90.1 deg 03:12:15   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 71s) 03:12:30   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 03:12:52   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 03:14:14   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 03:14:17 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 03:14:32 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 23:59:42 Red Alert SBIG Camera Alert Take Image failed (Command timed-out) 00:01:01 Green Clear SBIG Camera Take Image command accepted (bSbigDriverException flag is reset) 01:08:36 Yellow Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 248.2° (Delay 43s) 02:08:35 Yellow Alert Anomalous Dome Slew Dome slew resumed at Az 162.0° (T+119.7s) 02:10:32 Yellow Alert Anomalous Dome Slew Dome slew resumed at Az 163.7° (T+236.9s) 02:10:39 Red Alert Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 162.0, 163.1° (Total delay 205s) 02:10:43 Yellow Alert Dome Discrepency Difference between Dome Az and Slave Az is > 1 deg (GCVS BL Lac)

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Operational Issues (2023-07-30, S1124)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• Images from first 7 targets were significantly out of focus and had to be rejected (23:45 to 01:45). Whilst first 7 planned targets were completed ok and images were collected, they were all found to be significantly out of focus with "dough-nut stars" and were later rejected.  Two hours of good observing time were wasted. Problem appears to have occurred because the best focus position (~4127 ) had shifted significantly from that predicted based on last observing session (~2400) and lay at the end of the wide focus range for the Near Zenith Focus Field and was rejected (because best focus position didn't lie withing the central 90% of the focus range).  Re-focus attempts on the first 7 targets then all failed as the focus star was deemed too dim (probably because the star light was spread too thin). Eventually a sufficiently bright focus star was found for the 8th target (V Sge) and automatic focusing was successful and allowed in-focus images to be collected from the lat 5 targets of the session.  Near Zenith focussing at start of session was late in the evening and it wasn't monitored remotely to its completion otherwise the issue might have been spotted and a manual intervention made. Whilst significant jumps in focus position can occur a number of times per season, initial "wide" focusing routine, written for just this situation, normally picks this up and recalibrates the best focus position however this failed on this occassion due to it not passing QC Check at 23:41.  "REJECTED - Foc1 (Failed QC check - Range)" Automatic focusing might have succeeded on this occasion if the QC Focus Position (Range) was less restrictive or was repeated with a larger range.  Issue fixed in AstroMain 3.62.6 by disabling the QC Check (Range) for Wide Search Focus Profiles (i.e. only allowing the QC Check (Range) when bFocusProfileWide = False).
  Fixed (Session, AstroMain 3.62.6)

Minor Issues

• Centering failed for 3 targets, including M101 (23:48). Centering for 3 targets (M101, NGC 5297 & UGC 9350) failed due to either 'Too few stars' or Failed Image Linking.  This was due to Pointing Images from these targets (amoungst the first 7 targets) being significantly out-of-focus due to a major change in focus from the previous session and a QC Check Rejection of Near Zenith Focus Field results.   Following review 2023-07-31 the centering issue is deemed to be fully explained/understood and can be closed.
  Issue understood & closed 2023-07-31 (Session).

Small Defects

• None

Continuous Improvement

• None

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