David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 838  (2020-12-03)

Notes (S837)

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Notes (S839)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Continuous Improvement (7)
	Images from 2020-12-03 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2020-12-03)

Main aims -

1. Targets. Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets and deep sky targets as allowed by bright moonlight conditions.
2. AstroSN. Futher test of new AstroSN application for automating the import of newly discovered supernova and other interesting transient targets.

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, PHD2,  DeviceHub 4.5.0.1, UPB 1.5 
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.9
   
• AstroMain 3.32.13,  AstroGuard 1.4.6,   AstroPlan 1.18  AstroShCap 1.3.6, AstroVOE 1.5.2, AstroSN 1.1,  AstroProtect 1.4.1
  (AstroWeather 1.10.13, AstroAllSky 3.6)

Highlights

• Targets.  x targets were observed.
• AstroSN.  10 transient targets that have been discovered in the last 14 days were imported into the Targets Database from online Active SN Lists. Of these x were automatically scheduled for acquisition during the session, and of these 1 targets were actually observed.

Lowlights

•   Cloud.  Cloud developed faster than expected and only a single target was observed before the observatory automatically closed in response to deteriorating conditions.   With no improvement expected the session was closed early and sthe hutter status changed to locked as heavy rain was forecast for the second half of the night.
   

Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames)

Chart unavailable for this session

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 conditions through the evening (cloud cover 50 -95%) becoming totally overcast (cloud cover 100%) at 21:00 with heavy rain forecast (3mm per hour) for several hours during the second half of the night with increasing wind strength (reaching 20-21 mph) light wind (wind 7 mph) and minimum temperature 1 degC, climbing to 7 degC by dawn. In the event skies there was a short clear inteval at at 17:30-17:45 during which the observatory was opened. Conditions rapidly deteriorated through the early evening becoming totally overcast later with rain at around 23:00 and  again between 01:00 and dawn. Minumum temperature was -3degC in first part of night, rising later as skies clouded over.

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 16:17:41 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity starting between 16:37 & 06:20 16:37:06   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 16:37 16:37:07   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to cloud 17:32:06 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (17:32) 17:32:34 Session Created Live Session Created (2020-12-03 S00838, ImageSaveNum: 838001) 17:32:36   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 17:34:31   Services Started Observatory Services started 17:34:39 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:34:41 Session Pending Session pending (2020-12-03) 17:34:43 Session Initiating Session initiating (2020-12-03) 17:34:45   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.18) 17:35:17   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (2020-12-03 V1 BEST PLAN, Plan ID: 573) 17:35:28   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -25°C) 17:35:34   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:35:45 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 17:37:26   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 17:37:41 Session Running Session running 17:37:44   Queue Started Observing Queue started (54 targets selected) 17:39:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 17:41:57       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 17:43:51       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 17:43:53       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 17:46:03       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 17:47:49       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 17:48:04       Focusing Checked Foc2 Focusing Check Succeeded 17:49:41     Target Started (1/54) Target started (1/54, AT2020abfx) 17:52:15       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 17:54:15       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 18:01:38   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 18:08:24   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to Improved Conditions 18:10:22     Target Completed Target completed (1/54, AT2020abfx) 18:11:29   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 18:11:32   Queue Paused Queue pausing for Session Suspension 18:11:34 Session Suspended Session suspended 18:12:19   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s) 18:20:01     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (2/54, GCVS CI Cyg) due to cloud 18:35:12     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (3/54, GCVS SS Cyg) due to cloud 18:54:19     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (4/54, UGC 10909 w/AT2020abkz) due to cloud 19:16:11     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (5/54, M31 w/AT2020abjr) due to cloud 19:31:47     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/54, GCVS U And) due to cloud 19:44:28     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/54, GCVS TT Ari) due to cloud 19:54:51     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/54, GCVS DY Per) due to cloud 20:04:39     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/54, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 20:17:35     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/54, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) due to cloud 20:31:09     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/54, GCVS S Cyg) due to cloud 20:44:23 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 20:44:25   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 20:44:28 Session Closing Session closing 20:44:33   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 18:12, closing time 45s) 20:46:19   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 98s), Az: 90.1 deg 20:46:58   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 32s) 20:47:28   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 20:48:15   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 20:48:17 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 20:48:18 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2020-12-03 S838)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (2)
• Continuous Improvement (7)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Radius of Position Circle drawn on realtime images for Target 1 (AT2020abfx) was much larger than the 1 arc min defined in database.    Coding to tie circle radius to the vaue set in database may not be complete or may be ineffective for some reason or  a default value has been used. Investigating showed that there was a bug in the draw circle command string used in the ConvertFitsToJpg() routine.
  Fixed 2020-12-04 (AstroMain 3.32.14)
   
• Position Error Circle drawn on realtime Guide Reference frames is incorrect    Coding to tie circle position to that of the target may not be complete or may be ineffective for some reason or default / test values have been used.     Investigating showed the issue is caused by LocateInfo.x, y & PositionErrorRadius values being carried through from LX200/ST-10 Locate Frames and being used for the TS80/178MC Guide Frames.   It would be useful to correctly show where target sits on the guide frame but to show this requires either a) perform an image link on the Guide Reference Frame (feasible, but not possible to get a link in every case) or  b) trusting Cam1 to Cam2 positional offsets - although the latter are something that once set up shouldn't  normally change between sessions, the offsets needed to be remeasured if Guide Cam XY position or rotation are changed.   In the short-term the issue is fixed by setting LocateInfo.x, y & PositionErrorRadius to vcNull, so that the positional error circle isn't drawn.     To allow the positional error circle to continue to be drawn on the main frames,   LocateInfo will be saved to a SavedLocateInfo before Guide Reference/Guide Frame pictures are drawn to JPG and then copied back from SavedLocateInfo after the Guide Frames have been drawn to JPG
  Fixed 2020-12-04 (AstroMain 3.32.14)

Continuous Improvement

• Add a 'Locked Symbol' to ObsView (ObsPic) picture to indicate that the Observatory Lock is set. With this setting the Observatory shutter can not be opened from AstroMain and any detected opening of the shutter by any other applications will be detected and the shutter immediately closed again. This feature is occassionally used as an extra safety measure if bad weather (heavy rain/snow) is forecast.  It will be useful to see the 'Lock' on the Observatory Virtual Picture.
  Done 2020-12-04 (AstroMain 3.32.14)
   
• Place TNS ID, TNS Type and TNS Discovery Date into a separate box area on the AstroPlan's Target Form.  
  Done 2021-01-11 (AstroPlan 1.19)
   
• What are the vchar lengths of Target.Comment  and Target AliasNames database columns?
  Database columns widths for selected vchar fields, including the two columns specifically referred to in the question are:
  Name (30),  ShortName (20),  ObjectType (30), Comment (40), AliasNames (50), Note1 (40)
  Done 2020-12-05 (AstroPlan/Database)
   
• Disable Quadratic Curve on Focus Profiles where C term is negative.  Inverted curves are distracting and inappropriate for showing focus peak.   The digital value of C term is already used for QCing the profile and the automated process doesn't rely on an invalid being shown .
  Done 2020-12-04 (AstroMain 3.32.14)
   
• Add a means of storing and displaying Target Names on AstroPlan Observing charts/plans in a form that is inclusive of a suffix  where appropriate.    'Target w/AT',   'Target w/SN',  'Target w/Nova'   'Target w/LBV'  etc.   Facility added for Observing Results (Session Observation). Adding it for Observing Plan (Session Plan) is more involved.     LoadPlanObservations() fills GridCol.TargetName with T.Name (ie the Target Name is targets table, linked to Plan by TargetID
  Done 2020-12-05 (AstroPlan 1.18.1 / AstroMain 3.32.14)
   
• Work out a method of using T.TargetDisplayName on annotated realtime images instead of T.TargetName.   Display name is built by the new routine BuildTargetDisplayNames().
  Done 2021-01-22 (AstroMain 3.35) 
   
• What is the Short Name data field actually used for and what is implication of using it.   Historically the field was used for defining a special short name for variable stars (e.g . Shortname for 'GCVS SS Cyg' is 'Cyg SS' ). Stored in Database as vchar(20).  Use seems to be mainly cosmetic but might be used for holding and using terms such as "MAPPING",  "MOSAIC" by older job queue process.
  Done 2021-01-25 (AstroPlan/AstroMain)

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