David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 766 (2020-04-06)

Notes (S765)

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Notes (S767)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (1),  Continuous Improvement (1)
	Images from 2020-04-06 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-04-06)

Main aims

1. Targets: Acquire images of a number of comets and deep sky objects
   

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 3.20.3 ,  Astroguard 1.2.11,   AstroPlan 1.14,  AstroShCap 1.2.15, AstroVOE 1.3.5, UPB 1.4.17  (AstroWeather 1.8.6, AstroAllSky 3.5.1)
  

Highlights

• Good Conditions.  Good seeing / good condition enabled productive session with good guiding
• Targets.  x targets successfully imaged

Lowlights

•   Dome Positioning.  Slippage of the dome's rotation encoder wheel caused the dome shutter to become misplaced from the telescope position from 00:28 onwards leading to obstruction of the telescope's view of the night sky and consequential loss of multiple targets.

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)

Pre-Session Weather Forecast (API data from darksky.net) Forecast not saved/archived due to technical issue. In the event skies were ...

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 21:50:27 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-04-06 S00766, ImageSaveNum: 766001) 21:50:42   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 21:50:44   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 21:50:48   Services Started Observatory Services started 21:51:10   Scope Switched On Telescope power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 21:53:05   Services Started Observatory Services started 21:53:26   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C) 21:53:34   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 21:54:53   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 21:56:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:08:57 Session Resumed Live Session Resumed (2020-04-06 S00766, ImageSaveNum: 766001) 22:09:34   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 22:09:36   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 22:09:41   Services Started Observatory Services started 22:09:48   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 22:10:02   Scope Switched On Telescope power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 22:14:13 Program Closed Program closed by User 22:22:49 Session Resumed Live Session Resumed (2020-04-06 S00766, ImageSaveNum: 766001) 22:24:18   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 22:24:20   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 22:24:26   Services Started Observatory Services started 22:29:04   Services Started Observatory Services started 22:32:42   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 22:32:56   Scope Switched On Telescope power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 22:36:05   Services Started Observatory Services started 22:36:35   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 22:36:49   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C) 22:40:36   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 22:52:18       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:56:24       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 22:58:00       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:58:10       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:00:07       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 23:00:12       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:02:11       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 23:02:33 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:02:38 Session Pending Session pending (2020-04-06) 23:02:40 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-04-06) 23:02:42   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.14) 23:03:29   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-04-06 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 490) 23:03:32   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C) 23:03:36   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:03:49 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 23:03:52   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 23:03:54   Equilibration Skipped Dome Equilibration skipped by user 23:03:56 Session Running Session running 23:03:58   Queue Started Observing Queue started (32 targets selected) 23:08:38     Target Started (1/32) Target started (1/32, GCVS U Gem) 23:11:49       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:14:53       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 23:17:49     Target Completed Target completed (1/32, GCVS U Gem) 23:18:12     Target Started (2/32) Target started (2/32, GCVS RZ LMi) 23:21:37       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:24:19       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 23:29:13     Target Completed Target completed (2/32, GCVS RZ LMi) 23:29:15     Target Started (3/33) Target started (3/33, NGC 5157) 23:51:48     Target Completed Target completed (3/33, NGC 5157) 23:51:50     Target Started (4/34) Target started (4/34, IC 1222) 23:55:10       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star is too dim (TCF-S) 00:12:18     Target Completed Target completed (4/34, IC 1222) 00:12:20     Target Started (5/35) Target started (5/35, UGC 10528) 00:12:42   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 00:33:42     Target Completed Target completed (5/35, UGC 10528) 00:33:44   Queue Paused Queue paused for SoftSuspend 00:33:47 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:33:49     Target Missed (6/35) Target's time slot was missed (6/35, GCVS DX Cnc) 00:33:51     Target Missed (7/35) Target's time slot was missed (7/35, GCVS AM CVn) 00:33:53     Target Missed (8/35) Target's time slot was missed (8/35, 88P/Howell) 00:33:55     Target Missed (9/35) Target's time slot was missed (9/35, GCVS CN Leo) 00:33:57     Target Missed (10/35) Target's time slot was missed (10/35, LAMOST-HVS1) 00:36:05   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 140s) 00:38:36     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/35, GCVS SY Cnc) due to cloud 00:48:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/35, GCVS ER UMa) due to cloud 01:03:05     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/35, C/2020 A2 (Iwamoto)) due to cloud 01:12:31     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/35, GCVS R CrB) due to cloud 01:23:27     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/35, GCVS U Her) due to cloud 01:37:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/35, GCVS S Cyg) due to cloud 01:47:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/35, GCVS CI Cyg) due to cloud 01:56:20     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/35, GCVS SS Her) due to cloud 02:04:30     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/35, HIP 87937) due to cloud 02:13:07     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/35, GCVS Z And) due to cloud 02:22:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/35, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 02:32:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/35, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 02:40:59     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/35, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 02:50:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/35, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 02:59:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/35, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 03:11:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/35, Basel 10) due to cloud 03:21:12     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/35, GCVS DY Per) due to cloud 03:36:38     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (28/35, GCVS SS Cyg) due to other condition 03:50:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (29/35, C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS)) due to cloud 04:04:49     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (30/35, C/2018 N2 (ASASSN)) due to other condition 04:07:44 Session Resuming Session resuming 04:08:39   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 56s) 04:08:42 Session Running Session running 04:08:44   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 04:08:46     Target Started (31/35) Target started (31/35, WDS GRB 34) 04:12:53       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:15:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 04:17:33     Target Completed Target completed (31/35, WDS GRB 34) 04:17:35     Target Started (32/35) Target started (32/35, GCVS AM Her) 04:20:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:22:57       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 04:27:49     Target Completed Target completed (32/35, GCVS AM Her) 04:27:51     Target Started (33/35) Target started (33/35, GCVS CY Lyr) 04:30:08       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:32:57       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 04:36:28     Target Completed Target completed (33/35, GCVS CY Lyr) 04:36:30     Target Started (34/35) Target started (34/35, GCVS FG Sge) 04:39:26       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:42:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 04:44:45     Target Completed Target completed (34/35, GCVS FG Sge) 04:44:47     Target Started (35/35) Target started (35/35, GCVS RX And) 04:48:15       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:51:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11) 04:53:54     Target Completed Target completed (35/35, GCVS RX And) 04:53:57   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 04:53:59 Session Closing Session closing 04:54:54   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 50s) 04:55:18   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 25s) 04:55:31   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 9s) 04:56:01   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 04:56:49   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:56:51 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:56:56 Session Finished Session Finished

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Operational Issues (2020-04-06, S766)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• Problematic start of session. CDSoft & AdvMain running slowly during initial focusing run and not responding at certain points. Ended having to kill AdvMain & CCDSoft,  park the scope and restart all observatory software. Unclear what the problem was.  It seem to be an observatory gremlin at work. Upon restart it wasn't possible to connect with SBIG camera (even after rebooting the computer) and ended up having to visit observatory to switch off/switch on the power to SBIG Camera.
  Closed 2020-04-06  (Observatory)

Minor Issues

• Unable to connect to SBIG Camera following session restart.  After a problematic session start  the observatory software & scope were restarted. Upon restart it wasn't possible to connect CCDSoft with the SBIG camera (even after rebooting the computer).  Issue was resolved at time by visiting the observatory to switch off/switch on the power to SBIG Camera.   Having some way to remotely switch off/switch on the SBIG Camera would be helpful for any future events.
  Closed 2020-04-06  (Observatory)

Continuous Improvement

• Add hardware to allow remote control powering off/powering on the SBIG Camera.  In event of lost of connection to SBIG Camera following some other problem, it is sometimes necessary to switch off/switch on the camera in order to fix the problem. It would make thing easier if this could be done remotely so that observatory didn't need to be visited.  Need for this facility is rare,  but would be handy. A Phillips Hue Smart Plag (a re-purposed present from Xmas 2020) has been installed in the observatory and allows SBIG Camera Power to be turned off/turned on from indoors via an IPAD.
  Closed 2021-02-09  (Observatory)

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