David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1011 (2022-05-25)

Notes (S1011A)

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Notes (S1012)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (3),  Small Defects (1),  Continuous Improvement (4)
	Images from 2022-05-25 >>         [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-05-25)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & conditions.
2. AstroMain.  Check out new 3.15.9 version, ensure that it has not introduced any new issues or problems.
3. DeviceHub. Check out new 6.6.0.8 version, ensure that it has not introduced any new issues or problems.

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.0.8,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.3.375, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.51.9,  AstroPlan 1.30.6,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.8.1
  AstroVOE 1.10  AstroSN 1.8.2,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.9.1
  (AstroWeather 1.17, AstroAllSky 3.16,  AstroObsCam 1.9, AstroLaunch 1.9.1)

Highlights

•  Targets. 8/8 planned targets were successfully acquired
•  AstroMain.   No issues / problems associated with new 3.51.9 version.
• DeviceHub. No issues / problems associated with new 6.6.0.8 version.
• Focus Field Centering. Near Zenith Focus Field was automatically centered for the first time (this is a new feature in AstroMain 3.51.8 / 3.51.9 and comes after an issue in S1008 where the intended focus star lay outside the post-slew field of view and led to the focusing being aborted because the next brightest star in the FOV was too dim).  Centering operation consumed only 65s (00:03:19 to 00:04:24)  Whilst marked as a success minor defects noticed with reporting of pointing error in realtime and in post-session reduced folder analysis (these have now been fixed in AstroMain 3.51.10).

Notes:

• Summer Twilight . There is no longer any astronomical twilight (Sun Alt -12° to -18°) as we have effectively moved into Summer season.   Ahead of the session, the session reference time was changed to Sun Alt -10.0°.   Session operated in nautical twilight throughout (Sun Alt > -10.0° to -11.5°,  Sun Alt -11.6° at local midnight).  

  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 21:14:06 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:18 & 01:40 21:14:07   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 23:18 23:18:36   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 23:56:16 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (23:56) 23:56:57   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 23:56:59 Session Created Live Session Created (2022-05-25 S01011, ImageSaveNum: 1011001) 23:57:01   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 23:58:40   Services Started Observatory Services started 23:58:46 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 23:58:51 Session Pending Session pending (2022-05-25) 23:58:53 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-05-25) 23:58:55   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.30.6) 23:59:38   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 771) 23:59:53   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera Connected (set point -15°C) 23:59:58   Telescope Connected Telescope Connected (TheSky6) 00:00:22 Session Equilibration Session ready for dome & camera equilibration 00:01:08   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 00:01:58 Session Running Session running 00:02:00   Queue Started Observing Queue started (8 targets selected) 00:02:03     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 15, HIP 73454) 00:04:45       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:07:56       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 00:09:58       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 00:10:01       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 00:12:12       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 00:14:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 00:14:18     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 15, HIP 73454) 00:15:24     Target Started (1/8) Target started (1/8, GCVS SS Cyg) 00:19:05       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:21:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 00:27:25     Target Completed Target completed (1/8, GCVS SS Cyg) 00:31:39     Target Started (2/8) Target started (2/8, GCVS BL Lac) 00:34:25       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 00:36:36       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 00:40:58     Target Completed Target completed (2/8, GCVS BL Lac) 00:41:45     Target Started (3/8) Target started (3/8, NGC 4088 w/SN2022jzc) 00:46:04       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 01:02:43     Target Completed Target completed (3/8, NGC 4088 w/SN2022jzc) 01:03:45     Target Started (4/8) Target started (4/8, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 01:06:45       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:08:44       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 01:24:32     Target Completed Target completed (4/8, NGC 4545 w/SN2022fuc) 01:25:45     Target Started (5/8) Target started (5/8, NGC 4647 w/SN2022hrs) 01:28:57       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 01:55:04     Target Completed Target completed (5/8, NGC 4647 w/SN2022hrs) 01:57:07     Target Started (6/8) Target started (6/8, AT2022jrp (CV)) 02:00:00       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:02:13       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 02:09:03     Target Completed Target completed (6/8, AT2022jrp (CV)) 02:09:07     Target Started (7/8) Target started (7/8, GCVS R CrB) 02:11:55       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:13:48       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 02:17:06     Target Completed Target completed (7/8, GCVS R CrB) 02:18:24     Target Started (8/8) Target started (8/8, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 02:21:17       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:23:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 02:31:23     Target Completed Target completed (8/8, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)) 02:31:26   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 02:31:29 Session Closing Session closing 02:32:24   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 02:33:06   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 35s), Az: 90.0 deg 02:34:15   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 65s) 02:34:30   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 02:34:52   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 02:35:46   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 02:35:48 Session Housekeeping Housekeeping Started (Cleanup FITS, Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 02:35:59 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2022-05-25, S1011)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (3)
• Small Defects (1)
• Continuous Improvement (4)

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Session was designed to start at Sun Alt -10° but didn't begin until Sun Alt -11° or so. Autostart Monitoring was begun with an reference time of 23:48 (LT, Sun Alt -10.0°) and a Autostart Window beginning at 23:18 (LT). Autostart was unable to begin at 23:18 due to 'too few stars'. It eventually started at 23:56 when conditions were deemed suitable for starting the session.  By this time the sun was already at Sun Alt -10.3°, and by the time that job queue started at 00:14 the Sun Alt was close to -10.9°.  Workaround is to lower the threshold for 'Too few stars'. Need to look at proceed for starting session when Sun < -11° to see if the Too few stars threshold can be overlooked when Sky Clarity value is more than a certain level. Resolved in later session, start set to -9.5° minus 30 mins, and later -9.2° minus 30 mins, and 'Too Few Stars' option turned off.
  Resolved 2022-05-26 (Session)
   
• Live Observing Plan and Observing Result charts are unexpectedly labelled as '2022-05-25 (Test)' rather than '2022-05-25 (S01011). Unclear why,  mix up with original S1011A session (attempt) ?.  Data displayed on Observing Plan chart corresponds to that in the '2022-05-25 (V1) ACTIVE PLAN S1011' plan, only thing wrong is the title.   No targets are displayed on Observing Results chart, this is because results data is being stored against the 2022-05-19 (S01011) session.  Plan/Session data in SqlLite Targets Database will have to be adjusted post-session using 'Correct Specific Data in AstroPlan 1.30.7.
  Closed 2022-05-26 (Session / Database)
   
• Session data from original session attempt on 2022-05-19 (S1011A) wasn't removed from database prior to the live session S1011 (2022-05-25).  Problem is due to a user error. Plan/Session data in SqlLite Targets Database will have to be adjusted post-session.  Done using 'Correct Specific Data' fix in AstroPlan 1.30.7.   A separate continuous ticket item has been raised to check if there is a prior session data set in the session table which could cause this sort of problem, and raise an Red Alert when attempting to initiate an autostart .
  Fixed 2022-05-26 (Session / Database)

Small Defects

• Reduced Image Analysis of Locate frames from Near Zenith Focus Field report pointing errors of 7113.6' . Reduced folder analysis of locate images from Near Zenith Focus Field 15 (Image #1011001 & #1011002) report pointing error of  7,113.60 arc mins [N: 2,837.61', W: -6,930.34'] even though linking is successful. Centering of Near Zenith Focus Field is a new feature in AstroMain 3.51.8/3.51.9 and this is a teething issue.  Realtime centering analysis initially reports a pointing error of 7113.60' but the final pointing error review is 1.23' (Locate 1) and 0.10' (Locate 2).  Problem appears to be due to Near Zenith Locate frames have TAG-RA, TAG-DEC keywords with zero values (00 00 00.000 & +00 00 00.00 respectively).   This implies that bWriteTagCoords has been set to True but TagRa and TagDec are set to T.TagRa2000 & T.TagDec2000 which are presumed to still have default zero values from initialisation. haven't been set by the recent extended FocusScopeNearZenith() routine.   T.TagRa2000 & T.TagDec2000 values need to be set in FocusScopeNearZenith() routine before calling OB.CentreTarget.  Issue confirmed to have been fixed in session S1012 (2022-05-27).
  Fixed 2022-05-26 (AstroMain 3.51.10)

• Session data should be checked prior to accepting Autostart and before Starting a new session to ensure that there isn't a previous dataset / session data using the intended new session id.  This follows issue in S1011 (2022-05-25) where there was S1011 data already in the database associated with an S1011 session attempt on 2022-05-19 which wasn't removed from database prior to the live session S1011 (2022-05-25). 
  Done 2022-05-26 (AstroMain 3.51.10)
   
• Rationalise code to clear Object Target Fields (Analysis/ImageSets/Target tab). Code to clear/reset Object Target Fields is currently present in two places in the GetObjectTargetDetails() routine.  This can be rationalised by calling a single new routine (ClearObjectTargetFields() ) to clear/reset Object Target Fields.
  Done 2022-05-26 (AstroMain 3.51.10)
   
• By-pass the ImageSet tab reset when the selected object folder (ie selected imageset) is already active & displayed. The listboxObjectFolders_SelectedIndexChanged () routine is activated even if the object folder that is clicked is already the selected imageset. Inserting code to check that the selected object folder isn't already the Active Image Set (exiting routine if they are the same) would reduce unnecessary overhead and prevents accidental lost of runtime data associated with the Active ImageSet which would occur with a ImageSet Reset.
  Done 2022-05-26 (AstroMain 3.51.10)
   
• Modify 'CanProceedToCreateNewSession() routine to show the proposed session type (Live or Test) in MessageBox. This resolves the slight issue that Create Test Session the message box is ambiguous over whether a live session or a test session is to be created.
  Done 2022-05-26 (AstroMain 3.51.10)

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