David's Astronomy Pages Notes - Session 1106 (2023-03-10)

Notes (S1105)

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Notes (S1107)

	Session Aims & Highlights
	- Observing Result  - Night Summary Plot  - Session Event Log
	Operational Issues
	- Critical Issues (0),  Major Issues (1),  Minor Issues (2),  Small Defects (5),  Continuous Improvement (2)
	Images from 2023-03-10 >>

Session Aims & Highlights (2023-03-10)

Main aims

1. Targets.  Acquire images of a selection of variable stars, nearby stars, comets & deep sky targets as allowed by sky conditions

 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 3.61.11, AstroPlan 1.36.5,   AstroShCap 1.3.15, AstroGuard 1.10.2
  AstroVOE 1.13  AstroSN 1.10,  AstroProtect 1.7,  AstroMove 1.11.1
  (AstroWeather 1.20, AstroAllSky 3.18,  AstroObsCam 1.11.4, AstroLaunch 1.10.9 / 1.11

Highlights

• Targets.  7 out of 35 planned targets were completed with the one partially completed.  3 targets failed at start  due to an issue with getting telescope coordinates from TheSky6 Telescope. One of these targets (C/2022 E3 (ZTF)) was successfully resubmitted as a ToO target. Other targets failed due to cloud or due threat of snow, or because Dome had been locked to prevent incident like the one in January when reopening of the dome shutter following a snow shower causing snow to slid off the shutter onto the front of the telescope causing melted snow & humidity to enter the telescope tube. 
• Dome Slews.  No problems encountered in this session  (Hold Up Stats: 0/15 slews affected, 0%, 0.0 minutes total hold-up time).  Compare with last session when 33% of dome slews were affected by hold-ups.

Notes:

• Session was ended manually at 23:19 due to expected cloud and threat of snow for the remainder of the night.  This was a good call as skies remained cloudy until dawn and there was a light dusting of snow.
  

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 18:59:33 Session Monitoring AutoStart monitoring for Live Session opportunity between 18:59 & 04:36 18:59:34   AutoStart Delayed Session delayed due to too few stars 19:05:40 Session AutoStarting Session autostarting (19:05) 19:06:09   CCDSoft Restarting CCDSoft being restarted (to set AutoSave No.) 19:06:22 Session Created Session Created (Live, 2023-03-10 S01106, ImageSaveNum: 1106001) 19:06:49   Scope Switched On Telescope Power has been switched on via UPB Powerbox. 19:08:30   Services Started Observatory Services started 19:08:37 Observatory (Auto) Observatory placed in Fully-Automated Mode 19:08:41 Session Pending Session pending (2023-03-10) 19:08:43 Session Initiating Session initiating (2023-03-10) 19:08:45   Plan Requested Observing Plan requested from AstroPlan (1.36.5) 19:10:02   Plan Loaded Observing Plan loaded to queue (Plan ID: 878) 19:10:26   Camera1 Connected SBIG Camera connected (set point -25°C) 19:11:02   Telescope Connected Telescope connected (TheSky6) 19:11:27 Session Equilibration Session ready to Open Dome 19:12:12   Dome Opened Dome opened (opening time 45s) 19:12:14 Session Running Session running 19:12:16   Queue Started Observing Queue started (30 targets selected) 19:12:17     Target Started (NrZen) Target started (Focus Field 6, HIP 28634) 19:12:32       Dome Unparked Dome unparked 19:16:44       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:19:06       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1, wide) 19:21:02       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 1) 19:21:04       Focusing Started-Foc2 Foc2 Focusing Started (Secondary Scope, using ShCap) 19:23:11       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2, wide) 19:24:53       Focusing Completed Foc2 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 2) 19:25:10     Target Completed (NrZen) Target completed (Focus Field 6, HIP 28634) 19:25:14     Target Started (1/30) Target started (1/30, C/2022 E3 (ZTF)) 19:29:21       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is too dim (TCF-S) 19:48:08     Target Completed Target completed (1/30, C/2022 E3 (ZTF)) 19:49:23     Target Started (2/30) Target started (2/30, WDS GRB 34) 19:52:44       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 19:54:39       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 3) 19:56:40     Target Completed Target completed (2/30, WDS GRB 34) 19:57:50     Target Started (3/30) Target started (3/30, C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS)) 20:01:23       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:03:33       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 4) 20:10:04     Target Completed Target completed (3/30, C/2022 A2 (PANSTARRS)) 20:10:08     Target Started (4/30) Target started (4/30, GCVS HH And) 20:13:25       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:15:36       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 5) 20:17:36     Target Completed Target completed (4/30, GCVS HH And) 20:18:38     Target Started (5/30) Target started (5/30, NGC 2283 w/SN2023axu) 20:23:24       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:25:33       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 6) 20:42:03     Target Completed Target completed (5/30, NGC 2283 w/SN2023axu) 20:42:07     Target Started (6/30) Target started (6/30, NGC 2936) 20:44:57       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 20:47:09       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 7) 21:09:08     Target Completed Target completed (6/30, NGC 2936) 21:09:12     Target Started (7/30) Target started (7/30, M31 w/AT2023brc) 21:13:38       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - star is lost (TCF-S) 21:29:44     Target Completed Target completed (7/30, M31 w/AT2023brc) 21:31:10     Target Started (8/30) Target started (8/30, AT2023ctt (CV)) 21:34:02       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:36:12       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 8) 21:43:02     Target Completed Target completed (8/30, AT2023ctt (CV)) 21:43:30     Target Started (9/30) Target started (9/30, C/2020 V2 (ZTF)) 21:46:50       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 21:49:46       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 9) 22:07:28     Target Completed Target completed (9/30, C/2020 V2 (ZTF)) 22:07:32     Target Started (10/30) Target started (10/30, UGC 3044 w/SN2023cf) 22:10:09       Focusing Started-Foc1 Foc1 Focusing Started (TCF-S) 22:12:28       Focusing Completed Foc1 AutoFocus Completed (Profile No 10) 22:28:17     Target Completed Target completed (10/30, UGC 3044 w/SN2023cf) 22:29:10     Target Started (11/30) Target started (11/30, AT2023cts) 22:34:53       Focusing Skipped Foc1 focusing skipped - unable to find a star (TCF-S) 22:50:35     Target Aborted (11/30) Target aborted (11/30, AT2023cts) due to Priority 1 ToO Target 22:50:40     Target Started (12/31) Target started (12/31, NGC 2805, ToO) 22:51:23   Critical RainThreat Alert Critical Rain Threat Alert (Obs.Manager will close the Dome) 22:51:25   HardSuspend Called Hard Suspend is called due to Critical Conditions (threat of rain) 22:51:27     Target Aborted (12/31) Target aborted (12/31, NGC 2805, ToO) due to threat of rain 22:51:29   Queue Paused Queue paused for Session Suspension 22:51:31 Session Suspending Session suspending 22:52:18   Dome Closed Dome closed (closing time 50s) 22:52:20 Session Suspended Session suspended 23:00:49     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (12/31, NGC 2805, ToO) due to cloud 23:07:10     Target Cancelled Target cancelled (13/31, C/2019 U5 (PANSTARRS)) due to threat of rain 23:15:09   Observatory Door Observatory Door has opened 23:15:13   Observatory Door Observatory Door has closed (open time 4 sec) 23:16:15   Observatory Door Observatory Door has opened 23:16:20   Observatory Door Observatory Door has closed (open time 5 sec) 23:16:50   Observatory Door Observatory Door has opened 23:16:52   Observatory Door Observatory Door has closed (open time 1 sec) 23:19:50 User Intervention User request to close and finish session 23:19:52   Queue Aborted Job Queue aborted 23:19:55 Session Closing Session closing 23:20:00   Dome Closed Dome already closed (closed at 22:52, closing time 50s) 23:21:15   Dome Parked Dome parked (parking time 67s), Az: 90.0 deg 23:22:42   Telescope Parked Telescope parked (parking time 80s) 23:22:57   Telescope State Handbox reads 'Scope parked Turn scope off.' 23:23:19   Telescope Switched Off Telescope Power has been switched off via UPB Switch. 23:24:43   Services Stopped Night Services stopped 23:24:45 Session Housekeeping Session Housekeeping started (Create Fits Summary, Transfer Files) 23:25:15 Session Finished Session Finished

Session Alerts & Alarms

Time     Type       Name Detail --             No Alerts                --

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Operational Issues (2023-03-10, S1106)

• Critical Issues (0)
• Major Issues (1)
• Minor Issues (2)
• Small Defects (5)
• Continuous Improvement (1)
  

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Critical Issues

• None

Major Issues

• Cables from Scope following slew to NGC 2805 (Dec 64) were in a potentially compromised state. The ObsCam picture after session suspended at xx:xx was noticed to have cables that were in unexpected position and might be tangled. A visit to scope showed that cable had caught up on the camera body.   This may have potentially resolved itself on the next slew but depending on the direction of that slew there was concern that cables might have pulled tight and caused one or both cameras to rotate or might even damaged cable ports, equipment.  The cable effected was 'unhooked' and positioned back in its normal position. Consider performing a daytime test to understand how the camera cable arrived in the position it did.  Investigating the following day (2023-03-11) showed that a cable tie that normally pins the USB-3, SBIG Power cable bundle onto  the right hand side of the camera was missing and explains why the cable bundle had managed to cross over to the left hand side of the camera.  A new cable tie was added.
  Fixed 2023-03-11 (Session, Observatory, Cabling) 

Minor Issues

• JPG pictures not being created by ConvertFitsToJpg() routine on new development computer.  The problem was due to ImageMagic being installed at the location
  "C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-7.0.8-Q16\" instead of "C:\Program Files\ImageMagick\" that was expected by code. Problem fixed by uninstalling ImageMagicK, then reinstalled it again but this time explicitly specifiying C:\Program Files\ImageMagick\ location path instead of accepting the default path.
  Fixed 2023-03-12 (AstroMain,  ImageMagicK) 
   
• Beta version of AstroMain 3.62 is very slow to run AdHocTarget Observing on Development Computer (2023-03-14). Execution seems to hold up duirng Review Pointing Error and between Main Frames.  Log file shows that execution is held up waiting for previous ConvertFitsToJpg Conversion to finish and only releases at  timeout after 30s.  Problem was due to missing flag file "FinishedConvertToJpg.dat"  in AstroMain's run folder. Solved by creating flag file.  May need a backdoor facility to create file if it has somehow gone missing.
  Fixed 2023-03-14 (Session, AstroMain) 

Small Defects

• Target Circle missing from the Main Scope JPG Pictures for Target M31 w/AT2023brc. The blue Target Circle was unexpectedly missing from all 5 main scope images for Target x/x (M31 w/AT2023brc).  The images had plenty of stars and the final locate image (Locate 2) had target circle drawn and had a pointing error of only 0.1' . The Target Circle drawn was ok on Cam2 Ref and Guide Ref pictures, but it was also missing from the Cam1 Focus picture.  The issue couldn't be replicated when replaying the target on the Development Computer.  Problem is seemingly an intermittant glitch of unknown origin.  Circle radius must either be vcNull or the coordinates of the circle are outside of the FOV.  Tracing has been added to AstroMain 3.61.12 to log the specific Conditions that apply when no radius value is calculated, such that radius = vcNull,  which leads to no Target Circle being drawn.
  To monitor 2023-03-12+ (AstroMain 3.61.12) 
   
• Size of Target Circle in Locate 1 JPG Picture of C/2020 V2  (ZTF) was unexpectedly large (21:45).  The radius of blue target circle for comet pictures is expected to be 30 pixels corresponding to 1.0 arc min.  Tthe Locate 2 picture. Locate 2 frame, Focus Frame and Main Frames pictures all had the expected 30 px radius circle, but the Locate 1 picture had a target circle of 41 px radius. . JPG pictures (3x3 binning) have an image scale of 2.044"/px.  The radius of blue target circle for Locate 1 is equivalent to 1.40', but for Locate 2 and following frames the target circle was drawn with radius of 30 pixels equivalent to 1.02'  (1.00).  Pixel Scale for full frame images (3x3) is 1.404, suggesting a possible scale setting or equation error.  Problem doesn't affect other targets in the session and in particular didn't affect comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) which had the same expected target error circle value. Problem did however affect C/2020 V2  (ZTF) in the preceeding session (S1105) and in session S1101 but not in session S1102, S1100 or S1098.  Both C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and C/2020 V2  (ZTF) have an error radius of "n/a" (0 or  vcNull) entered in the database, and the target circle radius should therefore be hardcoded the same way.   Code in RetrieveTarget() routine shows that for targets belonging to Project ID 14 (Comets)  (which C/2020 VS (ZTF) and C/2022 E3 (ZTF) belong to) the Circle Radius is explicitly set to  1.0'. The issue couldn't be replicated when replaying the target on the Development Computer.  Problem is seemingly an intermittant glitch of unknown origin.  Tracing has been added to AstroMain 3.61.12 to log the Radius value used and log the inputs to Radius value calculation when creating 500 px wide JPG pictures for C/2020 V2  (ZTF) .
  To monitor 2023-03-12+ (AstroMain 3.61.12) 
   
• During guiding for C/2022 E3 (ZTF) the Dec Error suddenly jumped from -1.5" to 8.1" (19:44).  During Guide Run1 (C/2022 E3 (ZTF)  during set 11 the 32nd frame finished with guide error of -1.6" and guide manager intervened to adjust the Y lock position by 1.5" to re-zero the guide error. The next guide step unexplainable showed a Dec error of 8". Whilst waiting for an enforced inter-frame delay 1 or more further guide steps confirmed the 8.1" error and the guide manager intervened again to adjust the Y Location The 8" jump had put the guide star wrong side of zero line and where DecGuide Mode wouldn't have been able to correct it until star drifted south again. This time the guide error was cancelled and Dec error was back to 0" for the start of the 33rd frame. To investigate. 
  
    19:44:12.61 |   N 6, Av gY -1.0", Min gY -0.5", Last gY -1.5"
  19:44:12.61 |   Y Adjustment Required: PrincipalDecMode=North, G.dy=-1.48", yAdj=-0.99 px
  19:44:13.16 |   New Lock Position x: 1260.09, y: 262.79, y_adj: -0.99
  19:44:13.36 |   PHD2 event during guiding :LockPositionSet
  19:44:13.36 |   Starting a 15s delay after resetting lock position
  19:44:25.11 |   Y Adjustment Required: PrincipalDecMode=North, G.dy=8.10", yAdj=7.86 px
  19:44:25.66 |   New Lock Position x: 1260.13, y: 270.48, y_adj: 7.86
  19:44:25.88 |   PHD2 event during guiding :LockPositionSet
  Logs indicate that Lock Position adjustments were correctly made.
  To review 2023-03-12+ (Session, AstroMain 3.62+)   
   
• During guiding for M31 w/AT2023brc a single lost star event saw guide corrections being disabled for 30s (21:16).   At 21:16:40 there was a single lost star event due to cloud likely passing across the star field and guide corrections were immediately disabled for 30s, however guide star was present in the next frame and guide step data was good and could have been usefully used for holding the telescope on to the guide star. AstroMain's Guide Manager disables guide corrections for a period of time following a lost star event - this is by design.  It is appropriate to disable the guide corrections when there is a lot of lost star events,  but for a single lost star event a 30s suspension in guide corrections is probably inappropriate. In the case presented the suspension carried through to the next frame, when arguably the start of the next frame should prehaps have been delayed until the suspenision on guide corrections had ended .  Closed after review 2-25-12-07 on basis that this is believed to have been fixed (date unknown)
  Closed after review 2025-12-07 (AstroMain 3.62+) 
   
• Image Shift Calculation fails after 1st image for HH And (2023-03-14).  CalculateImageShift fails to get a new image shift for 2nd (and subsequent) Main Frame, producing the report message "ImageShift : Fail   Not enough stars" in test mode and the log message "Not enough stars (nStars 3, n 0)".   It is hypothised that this happens in the situation where Locate Frames use 3x3 binning and the Main Frames use 2x2 binning, since the calculation works ok when Main Frames are using 3x3 binning. First Frame works ok as the appropriate coordinate conversions from 3x3 to 2x2 binning work ok when finding a match,  but the second frame doesn't as the first frame store brightest stars in its native binning (2x2 in this case) and the calculation assumes that brightest star coordinates are at Locate frame binning (3x3) data which prevents the appropriate or any match being found.   A further enhancement converting coordinates into full frame 1x1 coordinates would be an appropriate further enhancement.
  Fixed 2023-03-14 (AstroMain 3.62) 

Continuous Improvement

• Check that flag file "FinishedConvertToJpg.dat"  is present in AstroMain's run folder before starting a session. If flag file is missing execution can be held up waiting for previous ConvertFitsToJpg Conversion to finish.  Is problem related to Norton Antivirus blocking file creation when starting up AstroMain from AstroLaunch application launcher ?
  To do 2023-03-14 (AstroMain 3.62) 
   
• Modify AstroMain's CalculateImageShift() and RecordBrightestStars_LocateInfo() routines to work in full frame 1x1 coordinates space. RecordBrightestStars_LocateInfo()  routine has been modified to put coordinates into 3x3 (LocateInfo.Binning) space, either where Main Frame is 2x2.  The routine will most-likely breakdown when Main Images are in half-frame or quarter frame space. An enhancement converting coordinates into full frame 1x1 coordinates would be appropriate.
  To do 2023-03-14+ (AstroMain 3.62+) 

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