David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1000 (2022-04-18)

Notes (S999)

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Notes (S1001)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (2),  Continuous Improvement (1)
	Images from 2022-04-18 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-04-18)

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 3.50.10,  AstroPlan 1.29.14,   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

•  Targets.  Targets acquired before TheSky6 program unexpectedly closed/crashed.
•  TheSky6.  TheSky6 program unexpectedly closed/crashed which prevented the acquisition of further targets

Notes:

• Session S1000.   Reached milestone of 1000th imaging session since first CCD imaging session in Sept 2001
• TheSky6 Failure.  16 targets were unable to be acquired due to TheSky6 program unexpectedly closing or crashing at around 23:05.
  

  Summary Plots & Logs

Observing Plan

Observing Result

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)

Actual Weather vs Pre-Session Weather Forecast

Session Event Log

Time     Event Detail 20:48:02 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 21:33 & 03:29 20:48:05   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 21:33 21:33:45   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 21:45:12 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (21:45) 21:45:52   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 21:45:54 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-04-18 S01000, ImageSaveNum: 1000001) 21:45:56   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 21:47:37   Services Started Observatory Services started 21:47:44 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 21:47:47 Session Pending Session pending (2022-04-18) 21:47:49 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-04-18) 21:47:51   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.29.14) 21:48:22   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 758) 21:48:34   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 21:48:39   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 21:49:03 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 21:49:48   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 21:49:49   Equilibration Started Dome Equilibration started 21:50:53   Equilibration Ended Dome Equilibration ended (1.1 mins total) 21:50:55 Session Running Session running 21:50:58   Queue Started Observing Queue started (20 targets selected) 21:51:01     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 10, HIP 49253) 21:52:43       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:55:47       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 21:57:45       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 21:57:47       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 22:00:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 22:01:46       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 22:02:03     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 10, HIP 49253) 22:02:55     Target Started (1/20) Target started (1/20, NGC 3367 w/SN2022ewj) 22:06:34       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 22:23:13     Target Completed Target completed (1/20, NGC 3367 w/SN2022ewj) 22:24:55     Target Started (2/20) Target started (2/20, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) 22:28:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:30:38       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 22:39:07     Target Completed Target completed (2/20, C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)) 22:39:12     Target Started (3/20) Target started (3/20, UGC 5560 w/SN2022ewv) 22:42:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:44:36       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 23:00:25     Target Completed Target completed (3/20, UGC 5560 w/SN2022ewv) 23:00:48     Target Started (4/20) Target started (4/20, NGC 3690 w/SN2022gnp) 23:03:59       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 23:06:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 23:22:17     Target Completed Target completed (4/20, NGC 3690 w/SN2022gnp) 23:22:30 Program Crashed TheSly6 Program unexpectedly closed 23:22:48     Target Started (5/20) Target started (5/20, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 23:22:52     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (5/20, NGC 5117 w/SN2022abq) 23:44:49     Target Started (6/20) Target started (6/20, NGC 3759A w/AT2022hnt) 23:44:53     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (6/20, NGC 3759A w/AT2022hnt) 00:06:48     Target Started (7/20) Target started (7/20, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 00:06:52     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (7/20, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 00:28:48     Target Started (8/20) Target started (8/20, NGC 4647 w/SN2022hrs) 00:28:52     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (8/20, NGC 4647 w/SN2022hrs) 00:50:48     Target Started (9/20) Target started (9/20, NGC 5732 w/SN2021agpf) 00:50:52     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (9/20, NGC 5732 w/SN2021agpf) 01:12:48     Target Started (10/20) Target started (10/20, UGC 11946 w/AT2022hsu) 01:12:53     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (10/20, UGC 11946 w/AT2022hsu) 01:34:48     Target Started (11/20) Target started (11/20, GCVS U Her) 01:34:53     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (11/20, GCVS U Her) 01:47:46     Target Started (12/20) Target started (12/20, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 01:47:50     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (12/20, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 02:01:39     Target Started (13/20) Target started (13/20, UGC 6312 w/SN2022eyj) 02:01:43     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (13/20, UGC 6312 w/SN2022eyj) 02:23:40     Target Started (14/20) Target started (14/20, NGC 4395 w/AT2022fmn) 02:23:44     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (14/20, NGC 4395 w/AT2022fmn) 02:45:39     Target Started (15/20) Target started (15/20, GCVS SS Cyg) 02:45:43     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (15/20, GCVS SS Cyg) 03:01:54     Target Started (16/20) Target started (16/20, Nova Cas 2021) 03:01:58     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (16/20, Nova Cas 2021) 03:15:39     Target Started (17/20) Target started (17/20, AT2022hry (CV)) 03:15:43     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (17/20, AT2022hry (CV)) 03:27:39     Target Started (18/20) Target started (18/20, GCVS BL Lac) 03:27:43     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (18/20, GCVS BL Lac) 03:37:45     Target Started (19/20) Target started (19/20, NGC 7217 w/AT2022gyc) 03:37:49     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (19/20, NGC 7217 w/AT2022gyc) 03:59:45     Target Started (20/20) Target started (20/20, HIP 87937) 03:59:49     Target Failed Target failed due to target not found (20/20, HIP 87937) 03:59:52   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:59:53 Session Closing Session closing 04:00:48   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 04:02:03   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 68s), Az: 90.0 deg 04:02:47   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 38s) 04:03:02   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 04:03:24   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 04:04:20   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 04:04:22 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 04:04:24 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2022-04-18, S1000)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• TheSky6 program unexpectedly closed or crashed at around 23:03 preventing the acquistion of further targets. When the session was checked in morning it was found that all targets from 23:22 onwards had faied with the message "Target failed due to target not found" .  It is unclear how the TheSky6 program came to be closed. No error dialog box was shown. Issue categorised as major since it caused 16 targets to not be acquired (Target 5/20 to 20/20), corresponding to the loss of 4.5 hours of good observing time.   Without any error dialog or exceptions messages the root cause can not be investigated any further. Examination of FITS headers show that images stopped containing Ra/Dec coordnates at 23:03:46 which indiates that the TheSky6 must have closed/crashed at some point between 22:02:13 and 22:03:46. It remains an outside possibility that TheSky6 could have been accidently closed by user during a late evening remote check-in, but there is no memory of any user action that happened at this time, in particular no user interaction with TheSky6 and dismissal of an Save Dialog.  Issue put down to be a one-off glitch and is closed after review (2022-04-19).
  Closed 2022-04-18 (Session)   

Minor Issues

• Image Linking on images from Target 4/20 (NGC 3690) have minor issues (post-session analysis).   Images linked by reported an offfset of  7,235.06' from 'target'.   FITS images acquired after TheSky6 had crashed didn't contain OBJCTRA / OBJCTDEC keywords and Ra 0 , Dec 0 coordinates may have been used by the AstroMain's calculate offset routines.  Image linking (but not WCS insert) probably worked as TAG-RA / TAG-DEC keywords were present. The issue didn't prevent Picture Building (host galaxy & cross-hairs, SN/Transient) calculated correctly).  Fixed in AstroMain 3.51.4  (extra condition check added to ValidateWcsCenter() routine).   The Report file will now show "Check WCS Centre    Fail    Uncertain WCS (OBJCTRA & OBJCTDEC keywords are missing)"
  Fixed 2022-05-05 (AstroMain 3.51.4) 

Small Defects

• Fits Summary files from Session S1000 created with name '001000_Fits_Summary.xls' instead of '01000_Fits_Summary.xls'.   This is a teething issue related to moving from S999 to S1000+.   Fixed in AstroMain and Fits_Summary_Loader.xlsm.
  Closed 2022-04-20  (AstroMain 3.50.11 / Fits Summary Loader) 
   
• Clicking 'Prior Session 2022-04-18 S001000' button on Analysis Session Tab doesn't open S1000 session (post-session analyis).  The S1000 session opens ok when using 'Select Existing Session', but not when using Select Prior Session.  The 'Select Last Session' button also works ok  The problem seems to be due to routine being trying to use the session name '2022-04-18 S001000' instead of the correct name is 2022-04-18 S01000.   This is a teething issue related to moving from S999 to S1000+.   The 'Select Last Session' button works ok.  Fixed in AstroMain 3.50.11.
  Closed 2022-04-20  (AstroMain 3.50.11) 

• AstroMain should check that the TheSky6 program is running and issue a Red Alert if either the TheSky6 process is not running or its COM objects are not active.  Following failure of 16 targets during session S1000,  the AstroMain program should check for the presence of TheSky6 program before each target or in response to 'Target not found' failure and issue a Red Alert / Alarm.  Check also made in CanResume() and in Obs.Manager Main Loop (SessionState = SessionState.Running).
  Done 2022-05-05 (AstroMain 3.51.4) 

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