David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 787 (2020-05-30)

Notes (S786)

Notes Main

Home Page

Notes (S788)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (7),  Continuous Improvement (7)
	Images from 2020-05-30 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-05-30)

Main aims

1. Software Testing: Test 3.24.2 version of AstroMain ( CanOpen(), MustClose() handling & Bug Fixes)
2. C/2020 F8 (SWAN): Image this comet using multiple 10s exposures in an attempt to overcome the bright NE sky associated with the developing dawn.
3. Targets: Acquire images of a number of targets if conditions allowed.  

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  2.6.8
   
• AstroMain 3.24.2,  AstroGuard 1.3,   AstroPlan 1.15.1,  AstroShCap 1.2.22, AstroVOE 1.3.6, UPB 1.5 
  (AstroWeather 1.10, AstroAllSky 3.5.1)
  

Highlights

Lowlights

• None. 

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) Pre-Session Weather forecast showed variable skies range from 5 to 50% cloud cover,  light winds (wind 7mph) and a minimum temperature of 6°C. In the event conditions were clear and calm through the whole night, with a minimum temperature of around 4°C

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:50:39 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-05-30 S00787, ImageSaveNum: 787001) 23:50:44   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:52:31   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:58:00 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:58:02 Session Pending Session pending (2020-05-30) 23:58:04 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-05-30) 23:58:06   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.15.2) 23:58:42   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-05-30 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 516) 23:58:56   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 23:59:00   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:59:18 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 00:00:03   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 46s) 00:00:06   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 00:04:08   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (4.1 mins total) 00:04:10 Session Running Session running 00:04:12   Queue Started Observing Queue started (11 targets selected) 00:05:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:08:02       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 00:08:04     Target Started (1/11) Target started (1/11, C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS)) 00:11:39 Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Shutter) 00:11:41   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 00:11:43     Target Aborted (1/11) Target aborted (1/11, C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS)) due to cloud 00:11:45   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 00:11:47 Session Suspended Session suspended 00:12:34   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 49s) 00:17:28     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (1/11, C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS)) due to cloud 00:21:46   Camera1 SetPoint SBIG Camera Set Point Temperature Updated (new set point -10°C) 00:22:15 Session Resuming Session resuming 00:23:00   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 00:23:02 Session Running Session running 00:23:04   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 00:23:06     Target Started (2/11) Target started (2/11, UGCA 342) 00:45:24     Target Completed Target completed (2/11, UGCA 342) 00:45:27     Target Started (3/11) Target started (3/11, GCVS R CrB) 00:54:35     Target Completed Target partially completed (3/11, GCVS R CrB) 00:54:37     Target Started (4/11) Target started (4/11, GCVS U Her) 01:06:24     Target Completed Target partially completed (4/11, GCVS U Her) 01:06:26     Target Started (5/11) Target started (5/11, GCVS CY Lyr) 01:15:20     Target Completed Target completed (5/11, GCVS CY Lyr) 01:15:22     Target Started (6/11) Target started (6/11, 61 Cyg) 01:18:56       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:21:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 01:22:57     Target Completed Target completed (6/11, 61 Cyg) 01:22:59     Target Started (7/11) Target started (7/11, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:25:54       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:28:34       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 01:32:13     Target Completed Target completed (7/11, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:33:30     Target Started (8/11) Target started (8/11, GCVS HH And) 01:36:46       Focusing Failed Foc1 Focusing Failed - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 01:39:58     Target Completed Target completed (8/11, GCVS HH And) 01:40:17   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 45s) 01:40:20     Target Aborted (9/11) Target aborted (9/11, C/2020 F8 (SWAN)) due to cloud 01:40:22   Queue Paused Queue pausing for HardSuspend 01:40:23 Session Suspended Session suspended 01:40:25   Shutter Closed Shutter already closed (closed at 01:40, closing time 45s) 01:50:24   Camera1 SetPoint SBIG Camera Set Point Temperature Updated (new set point -15°C) 02:00:25   Camera1 SetPoint SBIG Camera Set Point Temperature Updated (new set point -10°C) 02:06:47     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/11, HIP 87937) due to cloud 02:17:31 Session Resuming Session resuming 02:18:16   Shutter Opened Shutter opened (opening time 45s) 02:18:19 Session Running Session running 02:18:21   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 02:18:23     Target Started (11/11) Target started (11/11, GCVS AM Her) 02:28:08     Target Completed Target completed (11/11, GCVS AM Her) 02:28:11   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 02:28:14 Session Closing Session closing 02:29:02   Shutter Closed Shutter closed (closing time 45s) 02:30:18   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 76s) 02:31:17   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 56s) 02:31:47   Scope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 02:32:38   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 02:32:40 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 02:32:46 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 01:39:33 Unexpected Dome Closure Dome is unexpectedly closing (Poor Conditions)

Back to Top

Operational Issues (2020-05-30, S787)

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

[ Prev | Next ]

Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Dome unexpectedly closed at 01:39.   Session alert at 01:39:33 saying the dome was unexpectedly closing (this is dome closure that wasn't commanded by AstroMain). Conditions were poor and it is thought that the Cloud Sensor Relay must have activated to trigger the closure directly with the Dome Control Unit.   Obs.Manager is designed to react to deteriorating conditions and should have closed the observatory before the Relay activated closure, however the earlier proven routines have recently been replaced by new ones in AstroMain v3.24.  Target 8/11 (GCVS HH And) was began at 01:32. Conditions were poor : Clarity 22.1, Stars 2, AllSky Meas 282 (moderate cloud) and should have led to a SoftSuspend call at a minimum.  Whilst a Locate Frame 1 was successfully linked, Locate Frames 2-4 all had too few stars to achieve a plate solution. A 1s focus locate frame was unable to find a star. However autoguiding was able to successfully run.   Job execution continued to Imaging but whilst taking the image frame 6/7, the Dome Closure Alert came in.   Execution continued with taking the final 5s frame, but then paused on Target 9/11 (C/2020 F8 (SWAN) ) as Shutter was closed. Target was aborted due to Cloud and queue paused for HardSuspend.  The session remained suspended until 02:17 when it was deemed that conditions had improved sufficiently to allow the session to be resumed.  When Target 11/11 (GCVS AM Her) continued at 02:18 conditions where still marginal : Clarity 27.6, Stars 2, All SKy Meas 102 (unknown). Earlier in the session the Job Queue was paused for a HardSuspend following a Critical Cloud Conditions alert at 00:11 (Clarity 19.7)
  Fixed 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• Incorrect Dome Az position logged in logfile.  During Scope Parking at 02:30:22  'Dome Azimuth Before Slew' was logged as being 159.9°. However shortly before hand at 02:30:17  'Dome Azimuth After Slew' to Park Az was logged as being 90.00°.    159.9° was the dome azimuth prior to Dome Parking and the design logic is that this value is recorded as the Dome Azimuth before slew so that it is available for displaying in the Slew Table. What is incorrect is the display of the value in the logfile in the position it did.
  Fixed 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• Logfile shows NaN exception produced from AngularSeparation() routine.   New code added to prevent NaN result
  by set angular separation to zero if Ra1 = Ra2 and Dec1 = Dec 2
  Fixed 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• Actual Start Time for Target 8/11 (HH And) was blank.
  Fixed 2020-06-02 (AstroMain 3.24.5)
   
• Session Start Time, End Time and Duration are blank in the Housekeeping Stats report.  Examining code showed that it only open output labels (ie no variable values are output). Code modified to set and use Session.StartTime (first observatory opening) and Session.EndTime (final observatory shutdown). 
  Fixed 2020-06-03 (AstroMain 3.24.5)
   
• C/2020 F8 (SWAN)'s status in the Night's Observing Plan in Database (EXECUTED PLAN S787) was left as 'Waiting to Start' and wasn't updated to 'Failed' (due to 'Cloud').  Fixed in database by manual edit.  Dome was closed by relay at end of preceeding target (HH And) and C/2020 F8 (SWAN) technically started before session went into suspension. Target aborted due to Cloud before slewing to target itself ('Aborted due to cloud' is clearly reported in Report File and Session Events, but evidently not recorded on the plan in  database). Job Queue paused for Hard Suspend.   Session Suspended. Next target (HIP 87937) was correctly recorded in database, this had a report line  'Target Result:   Fail    Failed (cloud)' which the C/2020 F8 (SWAN) target didn't. Fixed by setting T.ObservationStatus to ObservationState.Failed .
  Fixed 2020-06-03 (AstroMain 3.24.5)
   
• AllSky Meas. values 65 and 102 are given description of 'Unknown' . During Target 11/11 (GCVS AM Her) AllSky Sky Measurements of 65 and 102 were produced without indicating 'Clear' or Cloud. 'Unknown' is produced by GetCloudDescription() routine when CloudValue from  TP2.Scope.CloudValue in GetCloudInformation() routine is -1.   This is a value that is sent from AstroAllSky.  A CloudValue of  '-1' is set in MeasureCloudAtPoint when
      SkyAduRate > (1000 - BaseAduRate) And IV.SunAlt > -12
  The issue thus only really affects  'summer time' operatons when the Sun doesn't descend below -12 altitude all night. For most other times (Sun Alt < -12) normal CloudValues are produced.
  To investigate and consider fix (AstroAllSky)

Continuous Improvement

• Improve the tabulation of Active/InActive Time (as shown in Housekeeping session).
  Done 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• GSet ( GroupSetId or GROUPSET) should be rolled over via Session.dat (if it isn't already)
  Done 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• Calc Quadratic Fit report comment should be preceeeded by SubTitle(Calculate Best Focus'). Also too much white space after 'QC Focus Result'
  Done 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• TargetInfo Chart should show Ra RMS and Dec RMS values under guiding results
  Done 2020-06-03 (AstroMain 3.24.5)
   
• 'Slew Scope to Az 180/Alt 5' should be changed Slew Scope to Pre-Park'
  Done 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• 'Dome Closure       Alert' should be '> Dome Closure      Alert'
  Done 2020-05-31 (AstroMain 3.24.3)
   
• 'Connect Devices To PHD2' should have some form of result reported (e.g Ok) if shown. The report line 'Checking PHD2 Connection..'  is too long (one Tab2 should be removed)
  Done 2020-06-03 (AstroMain 3.24.5)

[ Prev | Next ]

Back to Top