David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 950 (2022-01-07)

Notes (S949)

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Notes (S951)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (0),  Small Defects (1),  Continuous Improvement (2)
	Images from 2022-01-07 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-01-07)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions.

Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.5.1.9,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.3.373, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.5 SP1
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.48.17,  AstroPlan 1.29.2,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.6.3,  AstroVOE 1.9,  AstroSN 1.7.1,  AstroProtect 1.6
  (AstroWeather 1.15.3, AstroAllSky 3.14.3,  AstroObsCam 1.8, AstroLaunch 1.8.1)

Highlights

•  Guiding Performance. Dec Guiding performance was good (or at least a lot better than it has been prior to telescope rebalancing, polar alignment adjustment, software improvements.  Dec Guiding performance is no longer worse than RA Guiding performance.   Next step would be to try to improve RA guiding by generating new PEC Curves and/or slightly better Polar Alignment.
•  Wind Exclusion Zone. Use of wind exclusion zones during building of session's Observing Plan meant that planned targets were positioned away from the direction of strongest wind and consequently very few frames were lost because of wind shake/vibration.
•  Targets. Multiple targets werre successfully imaged. Conditions good & no significant issues with software or equipment.

Notes:

  Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance Reasons for poor Dec guiding : Red point (13) - Ineffective Dec Guiding (South) allowing star drift due to slight Polar Misalignment Orange point (26)   - Ineffective Dec Guiding (South) allowing star drift due to slight Polar Misalignment Yellow point  (25)   - Cloud affecting frames 2 & 3 (lost star events causing Red Point on RA Plot)

Sky Conditions (Locate Frames) Sky Brightness measurement problem (due to a SBIG camera bias level issue) is now fixed

Night Sky Summary Plot Top axis: Sky Brightness at Zenith (in ADU/s) Lefthand axis: Local Time (hh LT). Righthand axis: Sun Altitude (degs)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 16:33:47 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 16:52 & 06:25 16:33:50   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 16:52 16:52:42   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 17:08:49 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (17:08) 17:09:17 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-01-07 S00950, ImageSaveNum: 950001) 17:09:19   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 17:11:03   Services Started Observatory Services started 17:11:09 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 17:11:14 Session Pending Session pending (2022-01-07) 17:11:16 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-01-07) 17:11:18   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.29.2) 17:11:52   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 704) 17:12:14   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -25°C) 17:12:21   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 17:12:45 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 17:13:30   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 17:14:20 Session Running Session running 17:14:22   Queue Started Observing Queue started (41 targets selected) 17:14:25     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 0, HIP 106) 17:16:08       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 17:18:44       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 17:20:54       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 17:20:55       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 17:23:06       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 17:24:52       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 17:25:10     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 0, HIP 106) 17:26:22     Target Started (1/41) Target started (1/41, NGC 958 w/SN2022ao) 17:29:31       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 17:45:43     Target Completed Target completed (1/41, NGC 958 w/SN2022ao) 17:48:14     Target Started (2/41) Target started (2/41, AT2021aeft (CV)) 17:51:05       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 17:53:04       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 17:59:06     Target Completed Target completed (2/41, AT2021aeft (CV)) 18:00:06     Target Started (3/41) Target started (3/41, UGC 1098 w/AT2021ahep) 18:02:51       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:04:50       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 18:20:54     Target Completed Target completed (3/41, UGC 1098 w/AT2021ahep) 18:21:58     Target Started (4/41) Target started (4/41, 19P/Borrelly) 18:26:12       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:28:10       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 18:36:22     Target Completed Target completed (4/41, 19P/Borrelly) 18:36:26     Target Started (5/41) Target started (5/41, GCVS BL Lac) 18:39:21       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:42:02       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 18:46:06     Target Completed Target completed (5/41, GCVS BL Lac) 18:46:31     Target Started (6/41) Target started (6/41, NGC 7446 w/SN2021agdd) 18:49:19       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 18:51:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 19:08:27     Target Completed Target completed (6/41, NGC 7446 w/SN2021agdd) 19:08:31     Target Started (7/41) Target started (7/41, 132P/Helin-Roman-Alu) 19:11:38       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:13:25       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 19:22:02     Target Completed Target completed (7/41, 132P/Helin-Roman-Alu) 19:22:49     Target Started (8/41) Target started (8/41, AT2021agrr) 19:25:28       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:27:27       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 19:43:53     Target Completed Target completed (8/41, AT2021agrr) 19:44:41     Target Started (9/41) Target started (9/41, NGC 1052-DF2) 19:47:40       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:49:32       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 20:26:04     Target Completed Target completed (9/41, NGC 1052-DF2) 20:27:07     Target Started (10/41) Target started (10/41, UGC 2528 w/SN2020adnx) 20:29:58       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:31:57       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 11) 20:48:24     Target Completed Target completed (10/41, UGC 2528 w/SN2020adnx) 20:49:29     Target Started (11/41) Target started (11/41, NGC 1569 w/AT2021aczn) 20:53:09       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:54:56       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 12) 21:12:17     Target Completed Target completed (11/41, NGC 1569 w/AT2021aczn) 21:12:22     Target Started (12/41) Target started (12/41, PGC 3792) 21:15:52       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:17:47       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing failed (failed QC check - Ambiguous) 21:54:18     Target Completed Target completed (12/41, PGC 3792) 21:54:22     Target Started (13/41) Target started (13/41, PKS0735+17 w/AT2021agfn) 21:57:42       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 22:14:40     Target Completed Target completed (13/41, PKS0735+17 w/AT2021agfn) 22:14:44     Target Started (14/42) Target started (14/42, NGC 2022, ToO) 22:17:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:19:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 14) 22:30:17     Target Completed Target completed (14/42, NGC 2022, ToO) 22:30:21     Target Started (15/43) Target started (15/43, NGC 2371, ToO) 22:33:14       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 23:02:53     Target Completed Target completed (15/43, NGC 2371, ToO) 23:02:55     Target Missed (16/43) Target's time slot was missed (16/43, GCVS U Gem) 23:02:57     Target Missed (17/43) Target's time slot was missed (17/43, NGC 2761 w/SN2021aggu) 23:02:59     Target Started (18/43) Target started (18/43, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) 23:10:18     Target Completed Target partially completed (18/43, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) 23:10:22     Target Started (19/43) Target started (19/43, LEDA 2204848 w/SN2021umh) 23:13:57       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:16:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 15) 23:32:16     Target Completed Target completed (19/43, LEDA 2204848 w/SN2021umh) 23:32:21     Target Started (20/43) Target started (20/43, UGC 1971 w/SN2021afkk) 23:34:34       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:36:33       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 16) 23:52:53     Target Completed Target completed (20/43, UGC 1971 w/SN2021afkk) 23:52:57     Target Started (21/43) Target started (21/43, SN 2021win) 23:55:31       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:57:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 17) 00:13:11     Target Completed Target completed (21/43, SN 2021win) 00:13:15     Target Started (22/43) Target started (22/43, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) 00:16:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:18:01       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 18) 00:27:14     Target Completed Target completed (22/43, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) 00:27:18     Target Started (23/43) Target started (23/43, UGC 4671 w/SN2021afsj) 00:30:18       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 00:46:14     Target Completed Target completed (23/43, UGC 4671 w/SN2021afsj) 00:47:44     Target Started (24/43) Target started (24/43, UGC 5528 w/SN2022B) 00:50:50       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 01:07:58     Target Completed Target completed (24/43, UGC 5528 w/SN2022B) 01:09:37     Target Started (25/43) Target started (25/43, AT2021agjs) 01:12:35       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:14:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 19) 01:30:56     Target Completed Target completed (25/43, AT2021agjs) 01:31:28     Target Started (26/43) Target started (26/43, AGC 732) 01:34:14       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:50:07     Target Completed Target completed (26/43, AGC 732) 01:53:50     Target Started (27/43) Target started (27/43, NGC 3389 w/AT2021hkw) 01:56:31       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 01:59:50   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:13:05     Target Completed Target completed (27/43, NGC 3389 w/AT2021hkw) 02:13:07   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 02:13:09 Session Suspended Session suspended 02:13:56   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 02:22:47 Session Resuming Session resuming 02:23:32   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 02:23:35 Session Running Session running 02:23:37   Queue Resumed Observing Queue resumed 02:23:39     Target Started (28/43) Target started (28/43, NGC 4165 w/SN2021gno) 02:39:51     Target Completed Target partially completed (28/43, NGC 4165 w/SN2021gno) 02:39:55     Target Started (29/43) Target started (29/43, NGC 4896 w/SN2021wad) 02:42:56       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 02:45:15   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:59:26     Target Completed Target completed (29/43, NGC 4896 w/SN2021wad) 02:59:28   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 02:59:30 Session Suspended Session suspended 03:00:17   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 03:14:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (30/43, UGC 6930 w/SN2020rcq) due to cloud 03:35:36     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (31/43, UGC 4002 w/SN2021wvy) due to cloud 03:48:38 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 03:48:41   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 03:48:43 Session Closing Session closing 03:48:48   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 03:00, closing time 50s) 03:49:13   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 17s), Az: 90.0 deg 03:50:26   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 66s) 03:50:41   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 03:51:03   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 03:51:55   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 03:51:57 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 03:52:18 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2022-01-07, S950)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (0)
• Small Defects (1)
• Continuous Improvement (2)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• None

Small Defects

• Warning messages shown prior to switching off telescope power  "Warning (not connected)", "Check Telescope.. Fail  Telescope might not be parked (warning for next session)".  Messages are a consequence of disconnecting from Telescope after parking scope and prior to powering off telescope 20s later. Disconnection was inserted in this position at end of Dec 2021 or so.  Messages and placement of telescope disconnect to be reviewed.
  Fixed 2022-01-13 (AstroMain 3.48.18)

Continuous Improvement

• Modify the 'ProjectStars.txt' file format and associated file reader to accommodate a wider V_AltName field. This is required to allow 'Transients Nova Cas 2021' to be used as the (TheSky6) name for 'Nova Cas 2021' / AT2021hkn for VMA2 Variable Star Measurement.
  Done 2022-01-07 (AstroMain 3.48.18)
   
• Consider overadjusting Lock Position adjustments between frames in situations where there is ineffective Dec guiding and a clear direction of star drift is established. This would be helpful in the cases like of Guide Run 13 (PK S0735+17) where the Lock Position Adjustments are helpful in limiting the overall RMS  It wouldn't make any impact on the quality of individual frames themselves.  Where Dec guiding suddenly becomes effective again, there would be a disadvantage in overcorrecting the Lock Position adjustment as there would be no Dec guiding all the time guide star is on the 'wrong' side of zero line.
  To consider 2022-01-07 (AstroMain 3.48.18)
  

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