Blog from September, 2023

Seeing Frames
Roy Prouty posted on Sept 20, 2023

Date/Time

People


Plan

TargetCatalog NameTransitInstrumentFrame TypeFilterExpTimeGainPanTiltSeries
Pi HercHD 1562831819
Light



























Theta HercHD 1637701900
Light




























Log

  1. Followed Start-Up Procedure
    1. Mirror door switch needed to be flipped to on, wasn't in procedures
    2. Camera installation wasn't in procedures
  2. Cameras
    1. DFM Scope: ASI294MM Pro
    2. Finder Scope: ASI2600MM Pro
    3. Tertiary Scope: ASI482MC
  3. Had issues with DFM Scope with 294, so swapped with 178
  4. Pointing on Vega
    1. Updated pointing
    2. Focused
  5. Went to Pi Herc
    1. Focused More
    2. Collected Seeing Frames
  6. Went to Theta Herc
    1. Collected Seeing Frames
  7. Found and went to Iota Cygnus
    1. Collected Seeing Frames
    2. Added to Target List
  8. Went to Saturn
  9. Enabled Thor Instrument Rotator
  10. Took some frames of Saturn
    1. Onkar will attempt lucky imaging on Saturn
  11. Went to M13
    1. Took many frames in different filters
    2. Also in bin mode 1 and bin mode 4
    3. Onkar will built RGB images and compare modes
    4. Others will examine impacts of under/over sampling
  12. Took dome flats in the filters used for M13
  13. Followed normal Shutdown Procedure
    1. Need to flesh some items out on this page


All Data moved to Google Drive

PICSARR Benchmarking
Onkar Rekhi posted on Sept 18, 2023

Time
20230918T1800-0000


Peoples
Obs: Roy, Tara, Onkar, Gabriel, Olivia

AstroPol: Katie, Ian, Shrey, Meyer via discord

Guest: MIKE


Places
PHYS 401, 433C, Dome


Goals

  1. calibration frames with picsarr instrument
  2. look at stuff


Log

  1. began calibration frames
  2. having issues with data drive uploading to google and also writing data from sharpcap
    1. temp solution: pause google drive syncing
    2. semi-perm solution: replace data drive with SSD for faster read/write speeds
  3. TRAGEDY: FILLED UP DATA DRIVE
    1. single files are 126gb, not good
    2. temp solution: stole external SSD from astropol, using as intermediary drive
  4. calibration done
  5. Timing test (at 12ms)
    1. says its error is at 120 μs (this is bad I am told)
    2. Meyer says this is likely the result of another issue
      1. 1st turn down LED brightness and do a 120s series
      2. after correcting speed now it is 5.2 μs(much better)
      3. next trial after LED dimming is 114 μs data unclear
  6. Time to Observe
    1. brightness:40 ,exposure:12ms, filter:g', bin:1, file .ser
    2. Slew to Vega
    3.  found in Finder Scope(FS)
    4. finding in Main Scope(MS) up exposure to 100ms
      1. guess who did not open mirror doors (its us)
    5. found vega
    6. exposure:12ms, LED:3,
    7. set up auto-guiding
    8. Take capture 240s, full frame, exposure 12μs, file name:(vega full fov)
    9. LED too bright change to 4
    10. change exposure time to 3.5s, file: .fits
    11. change exposure time to 10s, file: .fits
    12. change capture area to 1200x400, exposure:12ms, pan:48, tilt:838 , gain:200  take 240s 12ms file:vega 1200x400.ser and file:vega 1200x400.fits
    13. want left image exposition at x: 900 y:192
    14. dome decided to go 180 degree
    15. Slew to Vi Cyg 12 mag is 11.4 and exposure must be 12ms so cannot see
    16. change LED to 7 gain:500
    17. take one 2 minute capture,pan:48, tilt:848, file name:HIP 1013641200x400 400ms.ser
    18. can still see is exposure is 400 ms and LED is 4 but just barely
    19. new capture
    20. take one 2 minute capture,pan:48, tilt:848, file name:HIP 1013641200x400 12ms.ser
    21. slew to HD 212311 gain:200 LED:4 take one 4minute 12ms exposure
  7. Take off PICSARR
  8. Slew to m57
  9. Onkar put on color cam
    1. correction: color cam already installed on tertiary scope
  10. Close up time


Notes

  • need data solution asap, preferably fast storage in the form of SSD if we plan on continuing to have data syncing to Google Drive


ToDo

  • need observing plan ahead of time to move things along faster
  • if using picsarr or similar instrument, folks should arrive sooner as it was discovered calibration of the instrument takes a long hecking time
  • data storage solution
  • finderscope mod plate cad (onkar knows what this is)


Data

  • data drive and external SSD drive
  • both should be synced to google


Weather

AT 2100h:

  • 22C roof
  • humidity: 40%
  • cold
First PICSARR Session!
Roy Prouty posted on Sept 06, 2023

Date/Time
20230906T1930-

People
Onkar, Connor, Katie, Eileen, Bill, Shrey, Roy

Spaces Occupied

401, 433C

Goals: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1br5dmu6I0mkKBspxyY8GVU-B86RyWoaY45-nYQDw4rk/edit?usp=sharing
Log

  1. Put filters into PICSARR
  2. Followed normal start-up procedures
  3. Installed ZWO ASI 294 & Filter Wheel on-axis
  4. Attempted pointing at Vega
  5. Changed OA to MONO8 to remove lines
  6. Found Vega, Set object position
  7. Uninstalled 294 and filter wheel
  8. Installed PICSARR
    1. Filter ugriz
  9. Opened PHD2 Guiding and created a new profile called "20230906_2600finder"
    1. Calibrated PHD2
  10. Tried focusing on Vega
    1. Went from 2298 to 2630
  11. Changed file format from .FITS to .ser
  12. Started a 4 minute long video on Vega (g uncalibrated) w/ guiding on
  13. Slewed to Alf Cep
    1. Dropped a frame for alf Cep during second exposure

ToDo

Notes

Weather

2100
TDome 32C
TCR 26C
TOutside 33C
HOutside 50%


2315
TDome 30C
TCR 26C
TOutside 31C
HOutside 55%



Observing Session - FIRST FALL 2023
Connor Kragh posted on Sept 01, 2023

20230901

People:

Obs: Roy, Connor, Tara, Onkar, Azzan

GUEST: Ridhi

Spaces Occupied:

401, 433C

Goals:

  1. seeing frames
  2. tracking frames
  3. pretty pictures

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H7rjyauLqcKFTJlM-_oQ4GUTcO1t4ZN97FhhY-XtO8s/edit?usp=sharing


Log:

  1.  Followed startup procedures on the wiki
    1. Had to flip Mirror Doors switch to the "Open" position, was not in the wiki
  2. Prepared to take flats
    1. Pointed scope East and dome was misaligned 180 deg
    2. Reset dome position as instructed on the "Auto-dome" page of wiki
  3. Repointed to West because we were losing light
  4. Began a set of 10 flat frames at 14.7 seconds and binning of 2 in visible light
  5. Repeated for red and blue light
  6. Pointed at Vega and took quick captures
  7. Pointed at Alioth (Demon Head Star)
    1. Multiple-star system, so we left
  8. Pointed at Pi Herc (HD 156283)
    1. Took Seeing Frames
    2. Focusing
    3. Orig: 2302.1
    4. 22993.1
  9. Pointed at theta herc (hd 163770)
  10. slew to M16
    1. issues with guiding, may be humidity related or tertiary scope related
  11. seeing frames
    1. took more
  12. m57
    1. still got some elliptical stars, guiding bad.
  13. shutdown
    1. followed normal shutdown procedures
    2. flipped mirror door switch to neutral
    3. forgot to put aperture cover back on tertiary scope, whoops

ToDo:

  • create better mount for tertiary scope
    • onkar will explore this
    • the current mounting solution gives a slight wobble to the tertiary scope making it no bueno for ag
    • onkar will design a version 1.6 mounting solution similar to the current one but that will reduce wobble and bring scope physically closer to main scope
    • onkar will design a new mounting solution 2.0 that will clamp around the finder scope and still utilize the finder scope mounting point to increase stability
      • will see if this can be 3d printed or if eric manufacturing co. will be needed
  • tara and onkar will use respective frames gathered tonight for seeing and tracking projects
  • connor will begin rough draft of system diagram of E V E R Y T H I N G to better understand how our stuff works

Weather

2046
TDome 25C
TCR 23C
NOAA T 24C
NOAA Humid 43%