David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1036 (2022-09-12)

Notes (S1035)

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Notes (S1037)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (4),  Continuous Improvement (1)
	Images from 2022-09-12 >>        [ Local Files >> ]

Session Aims & Highlights (2022-09-12)

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/AstroPlan.  Check out new versions of AstroMain (3.54.6) and AstroPlan (1.32.4) following major change to plan observations and observations which migrated from LT to UT based in order to resolve operational issues on nights that DST Changes.
3. Guiding.  Check out guiding performance after changing Min SNR setting.

 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  2.6.10dev3
   
• AstroMain 3.54.6,  AstroPlan 1.32.4,   AstroShCap 1.3.12, AstroGuard 1.8.2
  AstroVOE 1.11  AstroSN 1.8.4,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.9.1
  (AstroWeather 1.17.8, AstroAllSky 3.16.1,  AstroObsCam 1.9, AstroLaunch 1.9.4)

Highlights

• Targets.  Data was acquired from only 5 out of 27 planned targets due to cloud.
• AstroMain/AstroPlan.  New versions of AstroMain & AstroPlan operated without problem. This followed major changes which saw underlying plan/actual observation moved to being UT based.
• Guiding. Guiding performance for relatively good considering the conditions. In particular the earlier issue with PHD2 auto-selecting on warm patches of pixels with SNR of only 6 or 7 even though better guide stars available seems to have been resolved by reducing Minimum SNR from 50 to a new value of 13 in PHD2.
• Cloud. Sky conditions became overcast 1.5 hours into the session and remained cloudy until dawn.

Notes:

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 20:24:54 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 20:28 & 04:31 20:24:58   AutoStart Waiting AutoStart waiting till earliest start time at 20:28 20:28:34   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 21:05:53 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (21:05) 21:06:38   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -10°C) 21:06:40 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2022-09-12 S01036, ImageSaveNum: 1036001) 21:06:42   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 21:08:24   Services Started Observatory Services started 21:08:31 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 21:08:34 Session Pending Session pending (2022-09-12) 21:08:36 Session Initiating Session initiating (2022-09-12) 21:08:38   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.32.4) 21:09:13   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 798) 21:09:25   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -10°C) 21:09:31   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 21:09:54 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 21:10:40   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 21:11:40 Session Running Session running 21:11:42   Queue Started Observing Queue started (27 targets selected) 21:11:45     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 20, HIP 98535) 21:12:00   Dome Unparked Dome unparked 21:14:28       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:18:15       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 21:21:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 21:21:12       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 21:23:18       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 21:25:00       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 21:25:17     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 20, HIP 98535) 21:25:22     Target Started (1/27) Target started (1/27, M71) 21:29:22       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:31:42       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 21:31:57   UPB.Switch Restart UPB.Switch has been restarted. 21:42:37     Target Completed Target completed (1/27, M71) 21:42:41     Target Started (2/27) Target started (2/27, CGCG 373-018 w/SN2022osg) 21:46:20       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:48:18       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 22:04:51     Target Completed Target completed (2/27, CGCG 373-018 w/SN2022osg) 22:04:55     Target Started (3/27) Target started (3/27, GCVS BL Lac) 22:07:46       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:10:00       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 22:14:25     Target Completed Target completed (3/27, GCVS BL Lac) 22:14:29     Target Started (4/27) Target started (4/27, AT2022kl (CV)) 22:17:09       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:19:21       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 22:25:41     Target Completed Target completed (4/27, AT2022kl (CV)) 22:25:45     Target Started (5/27) Target started (5/27, AT2022tru (CV)) 22:28:30       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 22:36:14   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 22:40:25   SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to improved conditions 22:44:20   SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (reducing clarity) 22:44:35   Critical Cloud Alert Critical Cloud Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Dome) 22:44:37   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (cloud) 22:44:42     Target Aborted (5/27) Target aborted (5/27, AT2022tru (CV)) due to cloud 22:44:44   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 22:44:45 Session Suspended Session suspended 22:45:30   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 45s) 23:06:16     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (6/27, NGC 5894 w/SN2022pgf) due to cloud 23:28:16     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (7/27, IC 1132 w/SN2022prv) due to cloud 23:47:20     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (8/27, C/2022 E3 (ZTF)) due to cloud 00:07:50     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (9/27, NGC 6745 w/SN2022prr) due to cloud 00:17:40     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (10/27, 61 Cyg) due to cloud 00:33:42     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (11/27, GCVS SS Cyg) due to cloud 00:52:57     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/27, UGC 12173 w/AT2022ftr) due to cloud 01:03:55     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/27, GCVS HH And) due to cloud 01:23:00     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (14/27, UGC 3923 w/SN2022rqc) due to cloud 01:34:46     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (15/27, GCVS RX And) due to cloud 01:49:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (16/27, GCVS U And) due to cloud 02:09:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (17/27, AT2022ods) due to cloud 02:31:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (18/27, SN 2022mww) due to cloud 02:53:34     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (19/27, AT2021bpy) due to cloud 03:06:44     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (20/27, GSC 1224:29) due to wind 03:25:54     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (21/27, AT2022oar) due to cloud 03:47:54     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (22/27, AT2022oif) due to cloud 04:09:54     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (23/27, AT2022tqu) due to cloud 04:25:54     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (24/27, Nova Per 2020) due to wind 04:36:26     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (25/27, GCVS GK Per) due to cloud 04:48:04     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (26/27, GCVS RR Tau) due to cloud 05:17:49     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (27/27, AT2022tmq) due to too few stars 05:17:54   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 05:18:00 Session Closing Session closing 05:18:05   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 22:45, closing time 45s) 05:18:43   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 30s), Az: 90.0 deg 05:20:00   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 74s) 05:20:14   Telescope State Scope parked Turn scope off. (Handbox) 05:20:37   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 05:21:32   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 05:21:34 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 05:21:40 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts

Time     Alert Detail 21:31:57 UPB.Switch disconnected UPB.Switch has unexpectedly disconnected. Restart will be attempted 21:31:59 UPB.Switch UPB.Switch has been successfully restarted.

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Operational Issues (2022-09-12, S1036)

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

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Unable to form a VNC Remote Connection to the AllSky/Weather Computer from IPAD. Unable to make a VNC connection to LAPTOP7 from Ipad, but can make one from another window's computer.  Problem has been seen before, but was resolved in the meantime. Rebooting Ipad didn't resolve issue.   Issue was resolved by restarting the AllSky/Weather Computer (a restart was required anyway to finish installation of Windows Updates, any relation ?)
  Resolved 2022-09-14 (AllSky/Weather Computer, VNC, IPad)

Small Defects

• Certain targets, specifically Nova in M31 & M33 have display names on AstroPlan's Targets List Form which are too long to fit within their expected field width and push other fields values out to the right.  Whereas normal transients have a TNS name like '2022saq' and give a display name like
     'M31            w/AT2022saq'  
  these extragalactic targets have an ID from Rochester transient list file that is like 'Nova M31 2022-09a?' which gives a display name like
     'M31            w/Nova M31 2022-09a?'
  Since the official name is really M31N 2022-09a (incidentally the 5th observed nova of M31N 1926-07c), it is proposed to construct a display name like
     'M31            w/N 2022-09a?'
  Implemented in AstroPlan 1.32.5
  Fixed 2022-09-14 (AstroPlan 1.32.5)
   
• Targets derived from Rochester SN/Transient Lists with id's like 'Nova M31 2022-09a?' (probable Nova) have Object Types stored in targets database that don't mention 'EGN'. The TNS type for such objects is typically 'unk' and AstroSN will typically set 'Spiral Galaxy with Transient' as the object type for these targets. AstroSN should be modified to act as if the TNS type was EGN and set object type to 'Spiral Galaxy with EGN'.   Old targets (8 of them, 7 in M31 / 1 in M33) should be retrospectively changed in the database to replace 'with Transient' to 'with EGN'.
  Fixed 2022-09-14 (AstroSN 1.8.5, AstroPlan 1.32.5)
   
• When CCD temperature cooling is turned off via CCDSoft's Camera / Temperature dialog the cooling level displayed for the CCD in ObsViewer window doesn't drop to 0%.   When CCD temperature cooling is turned off via CCDSoft dialogs the cooling level displayed in ObsViewer window  doesn't fall to 0% but remains showing at the prior level, 100% in this case.  ObsViewer displays the value CcdMonitor.AvCoolerPower. Added 'AvCoolerPower=0' code line to CCDMonitor's MainLoop() routine when Camera.RegulateTemperature <> 1 (ie <> True).
  Fixed 2022-09-14 (AstroMain 3.54.7)
   
• Query: After issues with UPB Switch connection at 13:03 a report message was displayed which said 'RestartSwitch operation appears to have woken up after 28,126s (2022-09-13).  28,126s is 7.8 hours and it is conceivable that message was shown immediately after clicking ok on a UPB 'Lost Connection' dialog at 20:45 which was when issue was noticed.  Fix to display time in appropriate units (sec, min or hour) has been made using a call to GetTimeSinceText() function. The date of the fix & the AstroMain version are uncertain.
  Fixed 2022-09-14+ (AstroMain 3.54.7)

• Add ">> Logs" button to AstroPlan's Main Form that open 'Logs' folder in Windows Explorer.
  Done 2022-09-14 (AstroPlan 1.32.5)

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