David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1150 (2023-09-28)

Notes (S1149)

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Notes (S1151)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (0),  Minor Issues (1),  Small Defects (2),  Continuous Improvement (3)
	Images from 2023-09-28 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2023-09-28)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions (especially wind)
2. Comets.  Acquire images of a number of comets not previously observed

 Equipment & Software

• 12" LX200 and ST-10XME
• 80mm APO and ZWO ASI 178MC
• CCDApp2, TheSky6, CCDSoft5, DeviceHub 6.6.1.1,  MeadeGeneric 1.3.5.414, UPB 1.5, ASCOM 6.6
• Pegasus UPB & Motor Focus, TCF-S
• SharpCap 3.2, PHD2  2.6.11dev4, Siril 1.0.6, deCONZ 1.18.2, ASCOM 6.6 SP1
   
• AstroMain 3.62.12, AstroPlan 1.38.3,   AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13  AstroSN 1.10,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.12.4
  (AstroWeather 1.21.2, AstroAllSky 3.19.2,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.10.9 (1.11.1 on Dev Computer)

Highlights

• Targets. 8/8 planned targets were completed.
• Comets. x previously un-observed comets ( ) were imaged
• Autostart. Session successfully started using AstroMain's Autostart facility. Session began automatically after clouds cleared to giving a few hours of clear sky before dawn. Unfortunately quality of conditions (bright sky background due to full moon & thin moving clouds + haze) was poorer than hoped
•  Dome Slews. No dome slews were affected by any significant hold-up  (Hold Up Stats: 0/10 slews affected, 0%, 0.6 minutes total hold-up time). 

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 23:28:53 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 23:28 & 05:03 23:28:56   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to threat of rain 03:06:02 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (03:06) 03:06:31   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 03:06:45 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2023-09-28 S01150, ImageSaveNum: 1150001) 03:07:12   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 03:08:54   Services Started Observatory Services started 03:09:01 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 03:09:03 Session Pending Session pending (2023-09-28) 03:09:05 Session Initiating Session initiating (2023-09-28) 03:09:07   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.38.3) 03:10:25   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 924) 03:10:48   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -10°C) 03:11:25   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 03:11:49 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 03:12:34   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 03:12:36 Session Running Session running 03:12:38   Queue Started Observing Queue started (8 targets selected) 03:12:41     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 4, HIP 18637) 03:12:53       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 03:17:40       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:19:41       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 03:21:30       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 03:21:32       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 03:23:25       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 03:25:08       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 03:25:25     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 4, HIP 18637) 03:25:29     Target Started (1/8) Target started (1/8, 126P/IRAS) 03:29:51       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:31:28       Focusing Failed Foc1 focusing failed (failed QC check - Ambiguous) 03:41:49     Target Completed Target completed (1/8, 126P/IRAS) 03:42:19     Target Started (2/8) Target started (2/8, NGC 2326 w/SN2023pgb) 03:46:24       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 03:48:37       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 04:05:19     Target Completed Target completed (2/8, NGC 2326 w/SN2023pgb) 04:05:24     Target Started (3/8) Target started (3/8, 103P/Hartley) 04:08:18       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:10:17       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 04:20:28     Target Completed Target completed (3/8, 103P/Hartley) 04:21:03     Target Started (4/8) Target started (4/8, 62P/Tsuchinshan) 04:23:44       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:25:41       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 04:29:25       SoftSuspend Called Soft Suspend is called due to Deteriorating Conditions (too few stars) 04:31:00       SoftSuspend Cancelled Soft Suspend is cancelled due to improved conditions 04:36:08     Target Completed Target completed (4/8, 62P/Tsuchinshan) 04:37:47     Target Started (5/8) Target started (5/8, GCVS BL Lac) 04:41:41       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:43:38       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 04:47:31     Target Completed Target completed (5/8, GCVS BL Lac) 04:48:05     Target Started (6/8) Target started (6/8, Nova Cas 2021) 04:51:30       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 04:53:16       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 05:04:54     Target Completed Target completed (6/8, Nova Cas 2021) 05:06:12     Target Started (7/8) Target started (7/8, M31 w/AT2023trk) 05:09:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 05:10:42       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 05:26:45     Target Completed Target completed (7/8, M31 w/AT2023trk) 05:28:32     Target Started (8/8) Target started (8/8, GCVS RX And) 05:30:42       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 05:32:21       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 05:35:25     Target Completed Target completed (8/8, GCVS RX And) 05:35:28   Queue Completed Job Queue completed 05:35:30 Session Closing Session closing 05:36:23   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 05:38:48   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 136s), Az: 90.0 deg 05:40:11   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 76s) 05:40:26   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 05:40:48   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 05:42:11   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 05:42:14 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 05:42:24 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail 03:09:03 Yellow Alert Disk Space Free Space on C:\ Drive (46.61 GB) is less than 50 GB 05:42:20 Yellow Alert Disk Space Free Space on C:\ Drive (44.96 GB) is less than 50 GB

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Operational Issues (2023-09-28, S1150)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (0)
• Minor Issues (1)
• Small Defects (2)
• Continuous Improvement (3)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• None

Minor Issues

• Unable to open web pages/graphs from BGS's Geomag website.  Trying to reach a picture from
  BGS / Space Weather / Current Conditons (http://www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk/data_service/space_weather/current_conditions.html) on MS Edge from Aurora Watch web page in order to display a graph of Lerwick Magnetometer data specifically (kandkp_bar.jpg) but the expected picture doesn't appear. Trying direct link causes the MS Edge browser to produce an error alert "Your connection isn't private. "Attackers might be trying to steal your informaton from www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk (for example passwords, messages of credit cards)".  More details (under Advanced) say "You can't visit www.geomag.bgs.ac.uk at the moment because the website uses HSTS. Network errors and attacks are usually temporary, so this page will probably work later". Problem does not occur in IE11 (on same Windows computer) or in Safari (on IPAD). There isn't any real security issue here as its just a simple http download request for browser display, no sensitive data is passed.   Links  on 'Aurora Watch' web page changed from http to https but the issue persists. Adjustments made to 'Aurora Watch' webpage which seem to have resolved issue.  Note:  Picture is from https://geomag.bgs.ac.uk/education/current_activity.html not the one given above.
  Fixed 2023-09-29 (Website)

Small Defects

• Unable to process spectral (S Filter) images of Nova Cas 2021 (no images in target's reduced folder). During analysis of images from S1150 session it was noted that the imageset 'Nova_Cas_2021 2x2 90s S' didn't appear in expected time order and that its 'reduced' folder was empty of 5 FIT files even though 5 images had been taken.  Looking back at logs for images reduction shows that the raw images were unable to be reduced as a master dark frame (-10c, 2x2, 90s)  wasn't available.  A set of dark files were acquired at beginning of S1151 session (2023-09-29) from which a master dark frame was generated and used to go back and reduce Nova Cas 2021 spectral images from the S1150 session.
  Fixed 2023-09-29 (Session, AstroMain / Dark Frames)
   
• JPG picture of spectra from Nova Cas 2021 not displaying on the Current Session Images web page (IPAD). Graph spectra pictures were produced for Target 6/8 (Nova Cas 2021), but the spectra graph picture for the first main frame, does not appear next to the normal S image on the 'images_current.htm' web page first thing the following morning in Safari (on IPAD). Checking later showed that the spectra graph is displaying ok in MS Edge (Windows computer), but still not on IPad. Is this a cache issue ? Similar problem occurred in Session S1154 (2023-10-04), which was raised to a Minor Issue rank and investigated. This concluded that for some unconfirmed reason TimeStamps were not being set on Session.SpectraGraph01 to Session.SpectraGraph31 files during ResetLiveFiles(), leading to the data caching issues for Web Browsers. Further instances of issue in session S1154 and S1155 prompted investigation that showed that the issue is caused by code in AstroMain's ConvertFitsToJpg which was copying blank_chart.png as Session.SpectraChart" + id + ".png"  without updating Last Modified date.  The offening code was removed from AstroMain as the job of overwriting past SpectraChart images is the job of AstroPlan's ResetLiveFiles() routine. Issue fixed 2023-10-07 (AstroMain 3.62.17)
  Fixed 2023-10-07 (AstroMain 3.62.17)

Continuous Improvement

• When Plan List or Session List windows are closed in AstroPlan, focus should return to AstroPlan's main window.
  Done 2023-09-30 (AstroPlan 1.38.4)
   
• Create version of session log files in which the sections of the log are divided up into hyperlinked sections with a contents list at the begining.  Similar to the handling for session report file, make the various sections of the log file / different targets etc reachable from hyperlinks.   Implemented in AstroMain 3.66.8 / 3.67.
  A button utility 'Finalise LogFile' has been added to AstroMain's 'Reduction Workflow' tab which creates a session log file in htm format (e.g. '2024-03-21 S01200 Observatory (run).htm') complete with section headings and contents list.  An extra button "Rebuild all Final Log Files" has also been added to go through all past sessions and build a finalised log file in htm format. Because the format of log files changed between S01061 & S01062 with have to use a custom routine for these older files.  An additional improvement would be to automatically create file the finalised log file at the end of session and upload it to the web  (This later proposal has been added as a new Continuous Improvement Ticket under S1200, 2024-03-21).
  Done  2024-03-23 (AstroMain 3.67)
   
• Complete backlog of recent Aurora Web Pages.  Web Pages from 5 recent Aurora Nights (2023-09-14, 2023-09-16, 2023-09-18, 2023-09-20, 2023-09-25) have been created and populated with information charts etc, but observations, images and video need to be compiled and incorporated into web pages, and then uploaded to the observatory website (Aurora Observations).
  To do 2023-10-30 (Website)

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