David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1025 (2022-08-05)

Notes (S1024)

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Notes (S1026)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (1),  Continuous Improvement (4)
	Images from 2022-08-05 >>        [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-08-05)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by time & twilight conditions.
2. AstroMain. Check out fixes and new features in 3.53.3 version of AstroMain. Ensure that new version hasn't introduced any new issues.  

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.0.16,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.10
   
• AstroMain 3.53.3,  AstroPlan 1.30.10,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.8.2
  AstroVOE 1.10  AstroSN 1.8.2,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.9.1
  (AstroWeather 1.17.4, AstroAllSky 3.16,  AstroObsCam 1.9, AstroLaunch 1.9.4)

Highlights

•  AstroMain. AstroMain 3.53.3 operated without any significant new issues or problems.
•  Targets. 5 out of 9 planned targets were acquired. Last 4 targets failed due to cloud.

Notes:

• Evening was very cloudy and it was until 01:05 that it was realised that sky had cleared (clouds cleared at approximately 00:20).
  

  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 01:05:05 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 01:05 & 03:00 01:05:07 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (01:05) 01:05:35 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2022-08-05 S01025, ImageSaveNum: 1025001) 01:05:38   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 01:07:21   Services Started Observatory Services started 01:07:28 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 01:07:33 Session Pending Session pending (2022-08-05) 01:07:35 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-08-05) 01:07:37   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.30.11) 01:08:10   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 787) 01:08:32   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -15°C) 01:08:39   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 01:09:03 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 01:09:49   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 01:10:39 Session Running Session running 01:10:41   Queue Started Observing Queue started (9 targets selected) 01:10:44     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 21, HIP 103850) 01:10:58   Dome Unparked Dome unparked 01:13:04       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:16:10       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 01:18:14       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 01:18:16       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 01:20:15       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 01:22:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 01:22:18     Target Completed Target completed (Focus Field 21, HIP 103850) 01:24:05     Target Started (1/9) Target started (1/9, NGC 5875 w/SN2022oqm) 01:28:17       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 01:30:20       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 01:47:24     Target Completed Target completed (1/9, NGC 5875 w/SN2022oqm) 01:47:28     Target Started (2/9) Target started (2/9, C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS)) 01:51:59       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 02:04:07     Target Completed Target completed (2/9, C/2021 O3 (PANSTARRS)) 02:04:11     Target Started (3/9) Target started (3/9, NGC 6701 w/AT2022nxe) 02:07:01       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:09:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 02:15:22   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:15:27   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to improved conditions 02:25:12     Target Completed Target completed (3/9, NGC 6701 w/AT2022nxe) 02:25:39     Target Started (4/9) Target started (4/9, NGC 6745 w/SN2022prr) 02:28:38       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:30:44       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 02:44:05   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:45:35   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to improved conditions 02:47:12     Target Completed Target completed (4/9, NGC 6745 w/SN2022prr) 02:47:39     Target Started (5/9) Target started (5/9, GCVS SS Cyg) 02:50:14       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 02:50:26   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 02:52:26       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 02:56:52     Target Completed Target completed (5/9, GCVS SS Cyg) 02:56:54   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 02:56:57 Session Suspended Session suspended 02:57:47   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 03:12:18     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/9, GCVS EV Lac) due to cloud 03:21:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/9, GCVS BL Lac) due to cloud 03:30:32     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/9, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 03:48:35     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/9, WDS GRB 34) due to cloud 03:48:40   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 03:48:44 Session Closing Session closing 03:48:49   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 02:57, closing time 50s) 03:51:07       Dome Slew Dome slew held up at Az. 222.5° (Total delay 64s) 03:51:09   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 132s), Az: 90.0 deg 03:52:16   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 66s) 03:52:31   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 03:52:53   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 03:53:46   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 03:53:48 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 03:53:54 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail -- No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2022-08-05, S1025)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Session Suspended with reason reported as "Other condition - Blank (0)" (02:56).  This is an ongoing issue which has proved very problematic to solve.  It is possible that the problem is due to the suspension is due to a still active SoftSuspend flag which was raised 6 minutes beforehand at 02:50 (Sky conditions have deteriorated (Clarity 33.8, Stars 12)) . Session Events table shows that this was due to "too few stars".   The contents table reports the reason to suspend based on following construct "(" + GetFailDescription(ReasonToSuspend) + ")". Fixed Obs.Manager loop in AstroMain 3.53.4 so that the 'ReasonToSuspend' is always set to an appropriate value when bSoftSuspend is about to call SetState_Suspended(), instead of it having a value of 0 (Blank)
  Fixed 2022-08-06 (AstroMain 3.53.4)

Small Defects

• Wind Direction Graph Box shows '---' instead of expected bearing. The CalculateAverageWindSpeed() routine ignores direction values of 0 (north) as these are frequently invalid due to some issue with Wind Direction Sensor, and calculates an average direction from the last 20 minutes of data. In the event that all readings from last 20 minutes had the direction value of 0, the Av Wind direction calculation returns vcNull which is written as '---'  on the Graph. It is proposed to close the issue but monitor the situation and establish what the true frequency with which this issue occurs.
  Closed 2022-08-10  (AstroWeather 1.17.5)  but continue to Monitor.

• Make a number of additional cosmetic and minor improvements to Report File and Log File messages.
  Done 2022-08-05 (AstroMain 3.53.3)
   
• Change y-axis range for 5d temperature charts during summertime from -10 to +25°C to new range -5 to +30°C.  Temperatures during summer time can often reach 25 to 30°C but never descend as low as -5 to -10°C, and a graph scaled from -5 to +30°C would ensure that data isn't being left off the 5d temperature graphs. Graph IDs that need to use new summer time scale are  14, 15, 26,  29.
  Done 2022-08-10 (AstroWeather 1.17.5)
   
• Report/Log file to record Too Few Stars threshold setting at start of run, for each target or when a change is made.
  Done 2022-08-16 (AstroMain 3.53.6) 
   
• Consider adding button links to open the latest AllSky Image & latest Night Summary Plot from AstroMain Manager Tab.
  Done 2022-08-24 (AstroMain 3.53.10)

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