David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 953 (2022-01-10)

Notes (S952)

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Notes (S954)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (2),  Small Defects (0),  Continuous Improvement (0)
	Images from 2022-01-10 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-01-10)

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 : Orange point (9)   - Poor seeing? (2 to 5" spikes in Dec)

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 03:47:18 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 03:47 & 06:23 03:47:21 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (03:47) 03:47:58 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-01-10 S00953, ImageSaveNum: 953001) 03:48:01   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 03:49:45   Services Started Observatory Services started 03:49:52 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 03:49:57 Session Pending Session pending (2022-01-10) 03:49:59 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-01-10) 03:50:01   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.29.2) 03:50:29   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (, Plan ID: 707) 03:50:52   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -25°C) 03:50:58   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 03:51:22 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 03:52:08   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 03:53:03 Session Running Session running 03:53:05   Queue Started Observing Queue started (10 targets selected) 03:53:08     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 11, HIP 53798) 03:54:48       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:57:50       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 04:00:00       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 04:00:02       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 04:02:13       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 04:04:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 04:04:18     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 11, HIP 53798) 04:05:05     Target Started (1/10) Target started (1/10, UGC 3855 w/SN2021agco) 04:08:49       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:10:48       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 04:27:08     Target Completed Target completed (1/10, UGC 3855 w/SN2021agco) 04:27:12     Target Started (2/10) Target started (2/10, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) 04:30:36       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 04:43:57     Target Completed Target completed (2/10, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) 04:45:54     Target Started (3/10) Target started (3/10, NGC 2761 w/SN2021aggu) 04:49:06       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 05:05:28     Target Completed Target completed (3/10, NGC 2761 w/SN2021aggu) 05:07:46     Target Started (4/10) Target started (4/10, UGC 5528 w/SN2022B) 05:11:24       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 05:27:52     Target Completed Target completed (4/10, UGC 5528 w/SN2022B) 05:29:38     Target Started (5/10) Target started (5/10, UGC 4671 w/SN2021afsj) 05:33:07       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 05:49:21     Target Completed Target completed (5/10, UGC 4671 w/SN2021afsj) 05:51:30     Target Started (6/10) Target started (6/10, UGC 8975 w/AT2021adpe) 05:55:19       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 06:11:23     Target Completed Target completed (6/10, UGC 8975 w/AT2021adpe) 06:13:22     Target Started (7/10) Target started (7/10, AT2021agpw (CV)) 06:16:27       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 06:18:26       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 06:24:29     Target Completed Target completed (7/10, AT2021agpw (CV)) 06:25:14     Target Started (8/10) Target started (8/10, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 06:28:42       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 06:30:52       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 06:39:52     Target Completed Target completed (8/10, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 06:39:56     Target Started (9/10) Target started (9/10, GCVS BL Lac) 06:43:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 06:45:29       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 06:50:15     Target Completed Target completed (9/10, GCVS BL Lac) 06:50:19     Target Started (10/10) Target started (10/10, Nova Cas 2021) 06:53:44       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 06:55:41       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 07:02:58     Target Completed Target completed (10/10, Nova Cas 2021) 07:03:01   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 07:03:03 Session Closing Session closing 07:03:56   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 07:04:37   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 33s), Az: 90.0 deg 07:06:06   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 84s) 07:06:21   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 07:06:43   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 07:07:38   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 07:07:40 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 07:07:47 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2022-01-10, S953)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Error attempting to use astrometric data file from Groombridge 34 in TrigParallax program (post-session).  Exception conversion from string to integer when trying to load/run data file from Groombridge 34. (first time attempting to use this object in TrigParallax) program is built in VS2010 (no longer installed on Dev Computer) and therefore is canot readily readily debug the loading/use of datafile or fix the issue. Program  rebuilt as a VS2019 projec where debugging identified that exception was due to missing field in data file. Resolved.
  Resolved 2022-01-12 (TrigParallax)
   
• Dec guiding algorithum & Guide Mode values are missing from Guide Run 6 (UGC 8975, 05:53).  This is an ongoing intermittant problem that recently re-appearsed in S951 (2022-01-08) / S952 (2022-01-09).  Thought to be a gremlin that was fixed by restarting PHD2 & AstroMain during S952, the issue again occured during this one guide run from S953 session. No errors reported in log file. PHD2 Comms log show that a "get_dec_guide_mode" request {598} at :53:55.03 went unanswered. Similarly a "get_algo_param ("Dec","algorithmName" ) " request at 05:54:00.07 {609} also went unanswered. In both cases requests waiting for response (GetMessageById(IdSent) ) timed out after 3s. Tracing added to PHD2.ListeningLoop to see if response is being dropped inside AstroMain as opposed to being unanwered/reponse not sent by PHD2. Issue didn't occur during following session (S954, 2022-01-13). Eventually fixed AstroMain's PHD2 Message Monitor 2022-01-23.  Issue is due to the occurance of "Incomplete PHD2 data stream reads".
  (see Investigation - PHD2 Client/Server Comms Issues (2022-07-28)
  Fixed 2022-01-23 (AstroMain 3.48.22)

Small Defects

• None

Continuous Improvement

• None
  

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