David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 769 (2020-04-18)

Notes (S768)

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Notes (S770)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	Images from 2020-04-18 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-04-18)

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 22:00:48 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-04-18 S00769, ImageSaveNum: 769001) 22:01:04 Program Closed Program closed by User 22:01:06   Services Stopped Observatory Services stopped 22:01:08 Program Closed Program closed by User 22:02:30       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:06:29       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 22:07:25       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:07:55       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:09:55       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 22:10:01       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:11:58       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 22:12:05       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:14:06       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 22:14:35 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 22:14:39 Session Pending Session pending (2020-04-18) 22:14:41 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-04-18) 22:14:43   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.14) 22:14:59   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-04-18 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 493) 22:15:03   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C) 22:15:07   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 22:15:23 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 22:15:26   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 22:15:28   Equilibration Skipped Dome Equilibration skipped by user 22:15:30 Session Running Session running 22:15:32   Queue Started Observing Queue started (20 targets selected) 22:20:39     Target Started (1/20) Target started (1/20, UGC 5164) 22:23:51       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:26:15       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 22:41:52     Target Completed Target completed (1/20, UGC 5164) 22:43:01     Target Started (2/20) Target started (2/20, GCVS CN Leo) 22:46:42       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:47:36       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star lost 23:01:07     Target Completed Target partially completed (2/20, GCVS CN Leo) 23:01:09     Target Started (3/20) Target started (3/20, IC 4000) 23:03:28       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 23:20:56     Target Completed Target completed (3/20, IC 4000) 23:20:58     Target Started (4/20) Target started (4/20, IC 2677) 23:25:29       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:27:02       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star lost 23:32:11 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 23:32:13   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 23:32:18     Target Aborted (4/20) Target aborted (4/20, IC 2677) due to cloud 23:32:20   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 23:32:22 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:33:12   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 49s) 23:37:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/20, IC 2677) due to cloud 23:54:03 Session Resuming Session resuming 23:54:49   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 23:54:52 Session Running Session running 23:54:54   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 23:54:56     Target Started (5/20) Target started (5/20, IC 3389) 00:03:29 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 00:03:31   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 00:03:35     Target Aborted (5/20) Target aborted (5/20, IC 3389) due to cloud 00:03:37   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 00:03:40 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:04:30   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 50s) 00:07:15 Session Resuming Session resuming 00:08:00   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 00:08:02 Session Running Session running 00:08:04   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 00:08:06     Target Started (6/20) Target started (6/20, UGC 8025) 00:11:13       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star is too dim (TCF-S) 00:28:45     Target Completed Target completed (6/20, UGC 8025) 00:28:47     Target Started (7/20) Target started (7/20, C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)) 00:31:46       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:33:59       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - failed QC check (Quadratic) 00:55:31     Target Completed Target completed (7/20, C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)) 00:55:33     Target Started (8/20) Target started (8/20, UGC 7388) 00:57:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:59:55       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 01:15:39     Target Completed Target completed (8/20, UGC 7388) 01:15:41     Target Started (9/20) Target started (9/20, NGC 4448) 01:18:25       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 01:36:01     Target Completed Target completed (9/20, NGC 4448) 01:37:12     Target Started (10/20) Target started (10/20, IC 4074) 01:45:08   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 01:45:48   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions 01:48:19   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 01:57:00 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 01:57:02   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 01:57:04     Target Aborted (10/20) Target aborted (10/20, IC 4074) due to cloud 01:57:06   Queue Paused Queue paused for SoftSuspend 01:57:08 Session Suspended Session suspended 01:57:10   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 01:57:54   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 49s) 02:15:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/20, 88P/Howell) due to other condition 02:16:01 Session Resuming Session resuming 02:16:46   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 02:16:47 Session Running Session running 02:16:49   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 02:16:51     Target Started (12/20) Target started (12/20, NGC 5053) 02:19:16       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:21:07       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 02:35:50     Target Completed Target completed (12/20, NGC 5053) 02:37:30     Target Started (13/20) Target started (13/20, UGC 9169) 02:41:07       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:42:46       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - star lost 02:58:31     Target Completed Target completed (13/20, UGC 9169) 02:59:53     Target Started (14/20) Target started (14/20, IC 4481) 03:03:15       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:05:50       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12) 03:21:45     Target Completed Target completed (14/20, IC 4481) 03:22:14     Target Started (15/20) Target started (15/20, GCVS R CrB) 03:24:10       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:25:53       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 13) 03:29:01     Target Completed Target completed (15/20, GCVS R CrB) 03:30:55     Target Started (16/20) Target started (16/20, HIP 87937) 03:33:27       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:35:22       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 14) 03:38:22     Target Completed Target completed (16/20, HIP 87937) 03:38:47     Target Started (17/20) Target started (17/20, GCVS U Her) 03:41:03       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:42:57       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 15) 03:50:21     Target Completed Target completed (17/20, GCVS U Her) 03:50:23     Target Started (18/20) Target started (18/20, GCVS SS Her) 03:53:09       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:55:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 16) 03:58:18     Target Completed Target completed (18/20, GCVS SS Her) 03:59:09     Target Started (19/20) Target started (19/20, GCVS CY Lyr) 04:01:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:03:02       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 17) 04:06:46     Target Completed Target completed (19/20, GCVS CY Lyr) 04:09:27     Target Started (20/20) Target started (20/20, 61 Cyg) 04:09:52 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 04:09:54   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 04:10:09     Target Aborted (20/20) Target aborted (20/20, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 04:10:11   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 04:10:13 Session Suspended Session suspended 04:11:02   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 49s) 04:26:29     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/20, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 04:26:34   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 04:26:38 Session Closing Session closing 04:26:44   Shutter Closed Shutter already closed (closed at 04:11, closing time 49s) 04:27:03   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 20s) 04:27:17   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 11s) 04:27:47   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 04:28:35   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:28:37 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:28:51 Session Finished Session Finished

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Operational Issues (2020-04-18, S769)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Focus Profile unexpectedly failed.  Focus Profile 5 for Target 1/20 (UGC 5164) unexpectedly failed QC Check due to invalid 'upside-down shape' however points look good enough to have given a profile.   First point had -99.0 value which could possibly have confused the curve fitting algorithm if it had been used.  Modified code so that 
     If ... Or YFWHM(J) < 0 Or YFWHM(J) = vcNull Then  ValidFWHM(J) = False
  Fixed 2020-04-21 (AstroMain 3.20.4)
   
• Auto-guiding failed due to passing cloud.  Several targets failed due to guiding problems associated with lost star events / passing cloud. Guiding Manager needs to spot issue and abort active guiding, potentially restarting guiding if situation stablises again.  The ideal behind this recommendation is that unguided images are marginally better/more useful than badly guided images with 'staircase stars'
  To be fixed (AstroMain)

Continuous Improvement

• None

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