Observing Session - FIRST FALL 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%