Observing Session - Autoguiding Session

Time/Date

20230420T1900-2359

People

OBS/AstroPol: Onkar, Tara, Connor, Shrey

Viewers: meyer, roy, "Draconis", Tara

Spaces Occupied

401, 433C, dome

Goals

1. autoguiding study of:

   1. Venus

   2. 3C 273

   3. GB6 J0601+5315

   4. B2 1811+31

Log

1. Setup

   1. onkar installed filter wheel and ASI294MM Pro assembly on axis

   2. opened sharpcap utlizing ASI294MM Pro

   3. opened dome, turned on exhaust fan, turned off lights

   4. opened dfmtcs, ascom dome control and TS6 on control computer

2. Venus

   1. slewed to venus

   2. onkar taught connor the sacred art of "eye-balling" to get venus in picutre

   3. set object position

   4. bright mf

   5. set up PHD2 at a 0.01s exposure using the finder scope to lock on and guide

   6. set up sharpcap with filter wheel connnected and dreamguide NOT connected

      1. v filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 100ms exposure and 10 gain, about 16 score for FWHM

      2. u filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 10s exposure and 10 gain

   7. Open

      

   8. turned on spotify, crank dat

3. Menkalinan

   1. slewed to it

   2. set object position when found in on-axis cam

   3. closed sharpcap of finder scope

   4. opened phd2, re-enabled and guided to star

   5. set up sharpcap with filter wheel connnected and dreamguide NOT connected to sharpcap

      1. v filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 100ms exposure and 10 gain, about 18 score for FWHM

         1. phd2 crashed randomly while i was doing this

      2. u filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 10s exposure and 10 gain

   6. Open

      

4. B2 1811+31 (Gaia DR2 4591124261934686848)

   1. had to slew using ra and dec

   2. couldnt really find it

5. Vega

   1. slewed to it

   2. set object position when found in on-axis cam

   3. closed sharpcap of finder scope

   4. opened phd2, re-enabled and guided to star, 0.5s exposure

   5. set up sharpcap with filter wheel connnected and dreamguide NOT connected to sharpcap

      1. v filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 100ms exposure and 10 gain, about 18 score for FWHM

         1. phd2 crashed four times randomly while i was doing this

         2. also must be noted that autoguiding had been lost after the third frame, visually cloudy/hazy in spotter scope

6. Dubhe

   1. slewed, set object position

   2. opened phd2, re-enabled and guided to star

   3. set up sharpcap with filter wheel connnected and dreamguide NOT connected to sharpcap

      1. v filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 500ms exposure and 0 gain, about 14 score for FWHM

      2. u filter, 5 frames 2 min apart at 10s exposure and 10 gain

7. Closing up

   1. turned off exhaust fan

   2. uninstall on-axis camera and filter wheel

   3. slewed to zenith

   4. closed dome

ToDo

1. continue autoguiding study on a clearer night

2. look into why phd2 crashes so often

3. await mirror door parts to be made and then install them

Notes

• seeing is hazy close to the horizon in all directions but especially bad in the north to east direction

• hazy/cloudy everywhere

• phd2 crashed multiple times during observing

Weather

ClearDarkSky, NOAA, and Astrospheric are all reporting clear skies with average transparency, leaning towards average (good for us) seeing for the entire night. Safe to do observations.

Data

Normal place, synced to Google Drive