David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 986 (2022-03-16)

Notes (S985)

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Notes (S987)

	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 (1)
	Images from 2022-03-16 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-03-16)

Main aims

1. 2MASS J17554042+6551277.  Take my own images of the star 2MASS J17554042+6551277 (TYC 4212-1079-1). This star was used for fine phasing the alignment and focusing of the 18 hexagonal mirrors on the JWST space telescope  (Details and JWST picture in 16 Mar press release at https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully).    Coords of  star are 17 55 40.423  +65 51 27.87 (J2000)   http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Ident=TYC+4212-1079-1&NbIdent which put the star in Draco with a Dec coordinate (65 51') that is just below the maximum Dec Limit of my 12" LX200 Telescope Scope (66 deg for automated operations or 69 deg for manual operation)
2. 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 3.50.7,  AstroPlan 1.29.12,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.7
  AstroVOE 1.9.2  AstroSN 1.7.3,  AstroProtect 1.6,  AstroMove 1.8.6
  (AstroWeather 1.16.5, AstroAllSky 3.15.3,  AstroObsCam 1.8, AstroLaunch 1.8.3)

Highlights

• 2MASS J17554042+6551277.  Images of 2MASS J17554042+6551277 successfully acquired in R and C filters
•  Targets.  Images acquired from all 7 scheduled targets.

Notes:

• Session started using delayed AutoStart as the expected night time cloud didn't clear until around 01:30 . Intervention made at 02:40 to reduce the minimum AllSKy star count from 28 to 14. Star count was only around 18-20 due to bright moonlit sky, haze and either ?bird poo? or condensation on camera's hemisphere.
  

  Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

Dome & Scope Slewing Performance

Slew/Centering Performance

Guiding Performance Reasons for poor Dec guiding : Black/Purple points (None) - Red points (None) - Orange targets (16,18) -

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)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 22:35:04 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 22:35 & 04:14 22:35:04   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to cloud 02:49:25 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (02:49) 02:50:05   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -20°C) 02:50:07 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-03-16 S00986, ImageSaveNum: 986001) 02:50:09   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 02:51:49   Services Started Observatory Services started 02:51:56 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 02:52:00 Session Pending Session pending (2022-03-16) 02:52:02 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-03-16) 02:52:04   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.29.13) 02:52:26   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 744) 02:52:41   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -25°C) 02:52:47   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 02:53:11 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 02:53:56   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 02:53:57   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 02:55:06   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (1.2 mins total) 02:55:08 Session Running Session running 02:55:10   Queue Started Observing Queue started (7 targets selected) 02:55:13     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 14, HIP 69068) 02:56:53       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:00:05       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 03:02:00       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 03:02:03       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 03:04:13       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 03:05:59       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 03:06:17     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 14, HIP 69068) 03:07:09     Target Started (1/7) Target started (1/7, C/2020 V2) 03:10:29       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:12:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 03:21:06     Target Completed Target completed (1/7, C/2020 V2) 03:21:38     Target Started (2/7) Target started (2/7, 2MASS J17554042+6551277) 03:26:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:28:20       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 03:46:28     Target Completed Target completed (2/7, 2MASS J17554042+6551277) 03:46:32     Target Started (3/7) Target started (3/7, AT2021agpw (CV)) 03:49:59       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:52:24       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 03:58:09     Target Completed Target completed (3/7, AT2021agpw (CV)) 03:58:14     Target Started (4/7) Target started (4/7, GCVS U Her) 04:01:07       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:03:07       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 04:11:23     Target Completed Target completed (4/7, GCVS U Her) 04:11:28     Target Started (5/7) Target started (5/7, GCVS SS Her) 04:14:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:16:24       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 04:20:11     Target Completed Target completed (5/7, GCVS SS Her) 04:20:15     Target Started (6/7) Target started (6/7, UGC 10566 w/SN2022aab) 04:23:06       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 04:39:21     Target Completed Target completed (6/7, UGC 10566 w/SN2022aab) 04:40:57     Target Started (7/7) Target started (7/7, HIP 87937) 04:43:38       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:45:49       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 04:48:17     Target Completed Target completed (7/7, HIP 87937) 04:48:20   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 04:48:23 Session Closing Session closing 04:49:18   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 04:50:02   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 36s), Az: 90.0 deg 04:51:09   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 64s) 04:51:24   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 04:51:46   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 04:52:40   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:52:42 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:52:49 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 03:37:51 Dome Dome has been stationary for more than 15 mins 03:46:42 Dome Dome Movements have begun again (outage 23.9 mins)

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Operational Issues (2022-03-16, S986)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Session unable to autostart without intervention due to too few stars.  Clouds were expected to clear between 02:00 and 03:00.  In the event the sky cleared at around 01:15 but was still hazy?.  Checking in remotely at 02:48 it was found that autostart hadn't begun the session due to 'too few stars' .  As there was a low risk of rain in the first part of the night, the required minimum AllSky Count was set to 28 when Autostart mode was initiated in the evening. In the event the number of AllSky Stars was very low (18-20) due to a combination of a  bright moonlit sky, haze and either ?bird poo? and/or condensation on the camera's hemisphere.  WIth the evidently clear sky from Cloud Sensor (clarity), absence of visual clouds on AllSky Image and weather forecast the minimum required star count was reduced from 28 to 14.  This allowed the session to proceed with acquisition of 7 targets including the main objective of the session (2MASS J17554042+6551277). The star count remained below 24 for the remainder of the night and without interventation the session wouldn't have run.  Issue closed as problem was resolved in session. 
  Resolved in-session 2022-03-16 (Session)
   
• Unable to get Comet Distance and RA/Dec rate of movement for Target 'C/2020 V2' (post-session analysis).     Build 'Title' and Title2' button routines failed to give expected information during post-session analysis.   Debugging showed that routines failed to get the required information as 'C/2020 V2' was defined as a sidereal, rather than non-sidereal, target in targets database. 'C/2020 V2' along with 2 other comets were recently added as new targets using AstroPlan, where the 'New' target routine had set Sidereal checkbox to chcked which wasn't spotted or expected.  Fixed by editing the 3 targets to show them as being non-sidereal target.  A separate continuous improvement ticket has been raised to ensure that 'new target' unchecks the Sidereal flag when creating a new target where the program name is 'Comets' (prog ID = 14) or 'Asteroids' (progID= 49).
  Resolved 2022-03-17 (Targets Database)

Small Defects

• None

• Set Sidereal = False(Unchecked) when creating a new Comet or new Asteroid target.  'C/2020 V2' along with 2 other comets were recently added as new targets using AstroPlan, but all ended up with Sidereal status (rather than the expected non-sidereal status).  Where the 'New' target routine is currently used the  Sidereal checkbox is automatically checked. This wasn't spotted or expected and compromised the target information and it use during target acquistion and later analysis (e.g Comet Distance and RA/Dec rate of movement couldn't be obtained during (post-session analysis).  The 'new target' routine should ensure the Sidereal flag is uncheckd when creating a new Comet or new Asteroid target (ie where the program name is 'Comets' (prog ID = 14) or 'Asteroids' (progID= 49).
  Done 2022-03-30 (AstroPlan 1.29.14)

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