David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 794 (2020-07-07)

Notes (S793)

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Notes (S795)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (4),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	Images from 2020-07-07 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-07-07)

Main aims

1. Dome Driver. Test out dome driver under POTH Hub control. Look for any glitches which had hampered the previous two sessions that were under DeviceHub control
2. Targets. Aquire variety of targets if conditions allowed including M85 with new Supernova reported in recent (End June) BGS newsletter

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  POTH, UPB 1.5 
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.8
   
• AstroMain 3.25.8,  AstroGuard 1.4.2,   AstroPlan 1.15.3,  AstroShCap 1.2.22, AstroVOE 1.3.6
  (AstroWeather 1.10.8, AstroAllSky 3.6)
  

Highlights

•  Dome Driver.   No repeat of the dome driver issue that had hampered the previous two sessions.
• Supernova in M85. Images of Supernova in M85 were acquired

Lowlights

• None

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result (Southern targets added as ToO targets)

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 moderate cloud (68-72% cloud cover) in first part of night improving towards dawn (29-39% cloud cover) with light wind (5 - 7 mph) , no rain and a minimum temperature of 7°C. In the event conditions were clear the whole night (though a bit hazy) with a minimum temperature of 5°C

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 23:15:07 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-07-07 S00794, ImageSaveNum: 794001) 23:16:58   Obs.Manager Started Obs.Manager started 23:17:00   Obs.Overseer Started Obs.Overseer started 23:17:04   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:18:18   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:20:24   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:21:56   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 23:22:07   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:25:59   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 46s) 23:27:23       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:30:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 23:31:16       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:34:11       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 23:34:40       Focusing Started Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 23:37:35       Focusing Failed Foc2 Focus Result Not Accepted (Profile No 3) 23:38:06 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:38:10 Session Pending Session pending (2020-07-07) 23:38:12 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-07-07) 23:38:14   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.15.3) 23:38:30   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-07-07 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 523) 23:38:34   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 23:38:39   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 23:38:51 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 23:38:54   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 23:49:03   Equilibration Skipped Dome Equilibration skipped by user 23:49:05 Session Running Session running 23:49:07   Queue Started Observing Queue started (11 targets selected) 00:01:15     Target Started (1/11) Target started (1/11, M85) 00:05:31       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:09:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 00:13:37     Target Aborted (1/11) Target aborted (1/11, M85) due to GRB Alert 00:13:39     Target Started (2/12) Target started (2/12, HIP 87937, ToO) 00:22:18     Target Aborted (2/12) Target aborted (2/12, HIP 87937, ToO) due to Priority 1 ToO Target 00:22:20     Target Started (3/13) Target started (3/13, GCVS HH And, ToO) 00:31:18     Target Completed Target completed (3/13, GCVS HH And, ToO) 00:31:21     Target Started (4/13) Target started (4/13, C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs)) 00:31:46     Target Aborted (4/13) Target aborted (4/13, C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs)) due to GRB Alert 00:31:48     Target Started (5/14) Target started (5/14, M85, ToO) 00:47:30     Target Completed Target completed (5/14, M85, ToO) 00:47:32     Target Started (6/15) Target started (6/15, C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs), ToO) 01:00:37     Target Completed Target completed (6/15, C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs), ToO) 01:00:39     Target Started (7/16) Target started (7/16, Basel 6, ToO) 01:03:43       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:07:17       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 01:13:36     Target Completed Target completed (7/16, Basel 6, ToO) 01:13:38     Target Missed (8/16) Target's time slot was missed (8/16, Basel 6) 01:13:40     Target Missed (9/16) Target's time slot was missed (9/16, GCVS BL Lac) 01:13:42     Target Missed (10/16) Target's time slot was missed (10/16, GCVS CY Lyr) 01:13:44     Target Started (11/16) Target started (11/16, GCVS CI Cyg) 01:19:19     Target Completed Target partially completed (11/16, GCVS CI Cyg) 01:19:21     Target Started (12/16) Target started (12/16, GCVS FG Sge) 01:21:50       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:25:06       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 01:27:15     Target Completed Target partially completed (12/16, GCVS FG Sge) 01:27:18     Target Started (13/16) Target started (13/16, 61 Cyg) 01:30:07       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:33:06       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 01:34:20     Target Completed Target partially completed (13/16, 61 Cyg) 01:34:22     Target Started (14/16) Target started (14/16, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:37:41       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:40:38       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 01:44:25     Target Completed Target completed (14/16, GCVS SS Cyg) 01:44:37     Target Started (15/16) Target started (15/16, GCVS S Cyg) 01:50:33       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:53:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 02:03:03     Target Completed Target completed (15/16, GCVS S Cyg) 02:03:05     Target Started (16/16) Target started (16/16, Berkeley 90) 02:07:11       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:09:53       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 02:16:11     Target Completed Target completed (16/16, Berkeley 90) 02:16:14   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 02:16:17 Session Closing Session closing 02:17:08   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s) 02:17:43   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 36s) 02:18:41   Telescope Parked Telescope may have failed to park correctly (attempt 50s) 02:19:12   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Powerbox. 02:20:04   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 02:20:06 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 02:20:14 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 02:18:41 Scope Failed To Park Correctly Telescope may have failed to park correctly

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Operational Issues (2020-07-07, S794)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Difficulty in remembering all steps required to switch back and forth between using DeviceHub and POTH Hub. Whilst AstroMain and TheSky were set to use POTH.Hub, it was forgotten that PHD2 and AstroGuard also needed to be switched to using POTH Hub, and they both gave errors or failed connections before they were corrected.  A dialog box is now shown when the user makes a change to the 'Use DeviceHub' checkbox on AstroMain's Observatory Tab
  Fixed 2020-07-15 (AstroMain 3.25.9)
   
• When aborting 'Must Include' target M85, to make way for Barnards Star, the report message 'Target aborting due to GRB Alert' was inappropriate. Issue was eventually investigated 2020-10-04 (see Investigation - ToO Insertion Issues (S793, S794, S804) and found to be due to a bug (two members with same integer number) in the 'Enum AbortReason' declaration.
  Done 2020-10-05 (AstroMain 3.30)
   
• A "Telescope may have failed to park correctly" alert was generated when closing the session.   Alert given when parking scope even though scope appeared to have parked ok.  The attempted session on 2020-07-13 also gave the same alert.  
  Fixed 2020-07-15 (AstroMain 3.25.9)
   
• AstroGuard unable to connect to POTH.Telescope (when 'Use DeviceHub' is unchecked).   Unclear if Poth.Hub.Telescope can still be connected to.   POTH.Hub is being retired from service following successful replacement by  DeviceHub
  Closed 2021-02-07 (AstroGuard)

Continuous Improvement

• None

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