David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 736 (2020-01-04)

Notes (S735)

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Notes (S737)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (4),  Continuous Improvement (7)
	Guiding Performance
	Images from 2020-01-04  >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-01-04)

Main aims

1. Targets: Acquire images of a selection of targets including deep sky objects, variable stars, nearby stars and comets.
2. Stability:  Ensure that new version of AstroMain is stable following adjustments to autoguiding/PHD2 and recent bug fixes
3. Guiding:  Continue checking guiding performance after recent changes

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  POTH Hub
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.6dev3
   
• AstroMain 3.18.13 ,  Astroguard 1.2.9,   AstroPlan 1.13.7,  AstroShCap 1.2.10, AstroVOE 1.3.4, UPB 1.4.17  (AstroWeather 1.8.2, AstroAllSky 3.5.1)

Highlights

• Targets. x targets successfully acquired.

Lowlights

•   Guiding Performance.  Several targets suffered from poor guiding in Declination. due to variable backlash experienced at different points in the sky.

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Slew/Centering Performance

Dome Slewing 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)

Pre-Session Weather Forecast (API data from darksky.net) Forecast showed  In the event skies

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 17:48:59 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-01-04 S00736, ImageSaveNum: 736001) 17:49:12   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 17:50:58   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 17:51:00   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 17:51:04   Services Started Observatory Services started 17:51:27 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:51:29 Session Pending Session pending (2020-01-04) 17:51:31 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-01-04) 17:51:33   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.13.7) 17:53:10   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-01-04 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 442) 17:53:22   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 17:53:27   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:53:39 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 17:54:24   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 17:54:28   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 17:58:25   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (4.0 mins total) 17:58:27 Session Running Session running 17:58:29   Queue Started Observing Queue started (33 targets selected) 17:59:26       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:01:28       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 18:01:31       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 18:03:23       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 18:03:25     Target Started (1/33) Target started (1/33, GCVS SS Cyg) 18:10:14     Target Completed Target completed (1/33, GCVS SS Cyg) 18:10:16     Target Started (2/33) Target started (2/33, GCVS HH And) 18:13:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:15:06       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 18:17:00     Target Completed Target completed (2/33, GCVS HH And) 18:17:02     Target Started (3/33) Target started (3/33, GSC 1224:29) 18:20:16       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star is too dim (TCF-S) 18:24:51     Target Completed Target completed (3/33, GSC 1224:29) 18:26:07     Target Started (4/33) Target started (4/33, C/2018 N2 (ASASSN)) 18:28:43       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:30:55       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 18:39:21     Target Completed Target completed (4/33, C/2018 N2 (ASASSN)) 18:39:52     Target Started (5/33) Target started (5/33, GCVS U And) 18:42:30       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:44:28       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 18:54:58     Target Completed Target completed (5/33, GCVS U And) 18:55:01     Target Started (6/33) Target started (6/33, GCVS BL Lac) 18:57:35       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:58:36 Critical Conditions Alert Critical Conditions Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 18:58:38   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (other condition) 18:58:49       Focusing Aborted Foc1 Focusing Aborted 18:58:51     Target Aborted (6/33) Target aborted (6/33, GCVS BL Lac) due to other condition 18:58:53   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 18:58:55 Session Suspended Session suspended 18:59:41   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 49s) 19:00:56 Session Resuming Session resuming 19:01:42   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 19:01:44 Session Running Session running 19:01:46   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 19:01:48     Target Started (6/33) Target started (6/33, GCVS BL Lac) 19:06:00     Target Completed Target completed (6/33, GCVS BL Lac) 19:06:02     Target Started (7/33) Target started (7/33, GCVS Z And) 19:08:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:10:54       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 19:13:18   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 19:14:38     Target Completed Target completed (7/33, GCVS Z And) 19:14:40   Queue Paused Queue paused for SoftSuspend 19:14:43 Session Suspended Session suspended 19:15:33   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 50s) 19:18:35     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/33, GCVS RX And) due to cloud 19:24:44   Camera1 SetPoint SBIG Camera Set Point Temperature Updated (new set point -20°C) 19:25:47     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/33, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 19:33:09     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/33, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 19:42:02     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/33, GCVS DY Per) due to cloud 19:55:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/33, C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs)) due to cloud 20:05:43     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/33, GCVS AM Her) due to cloud 20:18:47     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/33, GCVS S Cyg) due to cloud 20:28:40     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/33, GCVS FO Ori) due to cloud 20:44:51   Camera1 SetPoint SBIG Camera Set Point Temperature Updated (new set point -15°C) 20:47:25     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/33, GCVS CM Tau) due to cloud 20:58:07     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/33, GCVS DX Cnc) due to cloud 21:08:06     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/33, GCVS RR Tau) due to cloud 21:16:11     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/33, GCVS FU Ori) due to cloud 21:23:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/33, GCVS GK Per) due to cloud 21:34:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/33, GCVS RR Tau) due to cloud 21:44:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/33, GCVS RZ LMi) due to cloud 21:53:38     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/33, GCVS NV Ori) due to cloud 22:02:24     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/33, GCVS SU Tau) due to cloud 22:11:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/33, GCVS SU Tau) due to cloud 22:30:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/33, Scholz's Star) due to cloud 22:40:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/33, GCVS CN Ori) due to cloud 22:49:35     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (28/33, GCVS AM CVn) due to cloud 22:59:48     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (29/33, GCVS U Mon) due to cloud 23:08:52     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (30/33, GCVS U Gem) due to cloud 23:18:00     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (31/33, GCVS SY Cnc) due to other condition 23:27:21     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (32/33, LAMOST-HVS1) due to cloud 23:46:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (33/33, GCVS ER UMa) due to cloud 23:46:34   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 23:46:37 Session Continuing Session continuing 23:46:48   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.13.7) 23:46:58   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-01-04 V2 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 443) 23:47:00 Wait on Weather Waiting for acceptable weather conditions 23:47:02 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:47:04   Shutter Closed Shutter already closed (closed at 19:15, closing time 50s) 23:47:06   Queue Started Observing Queue started (28 targets selected) 23:59:37     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (1/28, GCVS RR Tau) due to cloud 00:08:58     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (2/28, GCVS SU Tau) due to cloud 00:17:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (3/28, GCVS CN Ori) due to cloud 00:25:42     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/28, GCVS FO Ori) due to cloud 00:44:27     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/28, GCVS CM Tau) due to cloud 00:53:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/28, GCVS NV Ori) due to cloud 01:12:07     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/28, Scholz's Star) due to rain 01:23:35     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/28, GCVS U Mon) due to cloud 01:32:56     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/28, LAMOST-HVS1) due to cloud 01:43:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/28, GCVS RZ LMi) due to cloud 01:52:58     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/28, GCVS SY Cnc) due to cloud 02:02:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/28, GCVS AM CVn) due to cloud 02:14:48     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/28, GCVS CN Leo) due to cloud 02:34:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/28, NGC 4774) due to cloud 02:45:48     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/28, GCVS ER UMa) due to cloud 02:56:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/28, GCVS DX Cnc) due to cloud 03:15:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/28, NGC 5410) due to cloud 03:37:24     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/28, SHK 219) due to cloud 03:59:16     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/28, NGC 5600) due to cloud 04:21:08     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/28, NGC 4197) due to cloud 04:43:00     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/28, IC 3608) due to cloud 05:04:52     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/28, SHK 19) due to cloud 05:26:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/28, Rose 32) due to cloud 05:48:46     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/28, NGC 5058) due to cloud 06:10:38     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/28, Hickson 72) due to cloud 06:32:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/28, IC 893) due to cloud 06:54:22     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/28, Rose 14) due to cloud 07:16:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (28/28, 38P/Stephan-Oterma) due to cloud 07:17:04   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 07:17:09 Session Closing Session closing 07:17:14   Shutter Closed Shutter already closed (closed at 19:15, closing time 50s) 07:18:29   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 76s) 07:18:43   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 11s) 07:18:44   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 07:19:35   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 07:19:37 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 07:19:44 Session Finished Session Finished

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Operational Issues (2020-01-04, S736)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (4)
• Continuous Improvement (7)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Equilibration stage of automated observatory operation contains too many 'rotating (dome) into wind' messages. .
   Fixed 2020-01-05 (AstroMain 3.19)
   
• Log file contains too many unnecessary messages.  Several log messages which were helpful during development & testing are largely no longer required.  Removing regular (non-critical) messages allows a smaller, more easily read log file. These include :
  - replace trio of 'Saved SessionTab' lines with a single Saved SessionTabs with a single line
  - remove 'Setting Dew Heaters' log messages where there is no change in dew heater value
   - remove log lines for 'Write LatestLog', 'Write LatestRepor't.
   Done 2020-01-05 (AstroMain 3.19)
   
• Plan StartTime (from Now) for a new plan and Start Equilibration Time for an existing Plan should take into account the time required for initial focus field focussing.  Time increased from 8 minutes to a new value of 11 mins in AstroPlan.ScheduleBuilder's ResetNightDetails routines
   Done 2020-01-04 (AstroMain 3.19 / AstroPlan 1.13.8)
   
• AstroGuard still producing too many messages when sky conditions are poor. Messages should appear when conditions chnage for worse or for the better and not continually confirm poor conditions every 5 minutes or so
   Fixed 2020-06-08 (AstroGuard 1.4)

Continuous Improvement

• Create new 'Guider' class for handling guiding start/stop and guide monitoring.
   Done 2020-01-05 (AstroMain 3.19)
   
• Need to run Autoguider for Shorter Length Targets (5-30s duration frames).   Probably implement with guiding in RA only (no need for Dec guiding)
  Being implemented (AstroMain 3.19.3)
   
• Web Pages contain overly-bold text in places. This includes highlight/lowlights section in recent sessions . Problem is due to use of <strong><b> </b></strong> tags which doubles the boldness
   Largely fixed 2020-01-24  (Website)
   
• Add 'Order by Constellation' option to AstroPlan's Targets form
   Done 2020-01-23 (AstroPlan 1.13.13)
   
• Consider adding list of session/dates when imaging attempt made for each target. Could be either stored table or derived from Session  Observations.
   Done 2020-01-24  (AstroPlan 1.14)
   
• Need to test observatory operations for complete outage of AllSky/Weather Computer.
  In progress 2020-06-01 (AstroMain / AstroGuard / Observatory)
   
• Session reporting session suspended due to 'non-defined reason (0)' . Messages should give a clear reason ,  based on current/recent reason
  >> To be fixed (AstroMain)
   

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Guiding Performance

Examples of guiding results from the session are shown below:

Example of Guiding Performance from Session S736

Comparison with previous results

• Forward Plan
  
  - Consider starting the Dec Drift monitoring during an extended setting period. This would be instead of during the first 180s frame or first few 45s frames.
     To do
  
  - Consider recording the direction in which the scope comes onto the target (ie from north or from south) and use that to help predict the backlash that may need to be taken up before the guiding is able to move the scope
      To do

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A new feature been added to AstroMain Guiding Monitor that creates a predicted star image for each frame based on  RA/Dec errors reported by PHD2's guidestep events and assuming a star FWHM of 3 arc secs.  The following chart compares the synthetic star images for one particular guiding run  with an actual star on the main scope frames.  For most frames the elongation of the actual star image broadly matches the elongation predicted by the synthetic stars, eg Frame 1 and Frame 6, but the match is poorer for some frames (e.g. Frame 8)

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