FinderScope FoV

Date/Time

20230124-T1730-2200

People

Connor, Gabriel, Roy

Spaces Occupied

401, 433C, Dome

Goals

1. Observe astrometric standard such as NCG 188.

2. Take image of star(s) trailing

3. Make auto-dome wiki page

Log

1. Couldn't find planetary CMOS with adapter

   1. Chose to just use deep-sky CMOS on finderscope (since that's all we need)

   2. Deep-sky CMOS connected to Icron USB Extender – connected to SharpCap without issue

   3. No changes to focus needed to be made while reattaching

2. Dome shutters didn't open via DFMTCS > Telescope > MISC > Focus & Shutter Tab

   1. When we used ASCOM Dome Control Panel, they worked. 

   2. WE DON'T KNOW WHY

3. We set auto-doming up

4. We assumed pointing was good from the last session

   1. And it was

5. We slewed to NCG 188 and began taking a series of 1min-15min exposures

   1. Remembered to set tracking rate to Sidereal Rate

6. We found a few good exposures

7. We tried comparing the captures to the STScI Digitized Sky Survey result, but this was hard.

8. We used AstroMetry.net to locate NCG 188 in our finderscope captures. This was much easier.

9. See results HERE.

   1. Seems like Finderscope FoV with Deep-Sky CMOS is ~1.5deg x 1deg

10. We set the tracking rate to 13''/s and captured some images of NCG 188 trailing.

    1. Put these on the Auto-guider webpage

11. We reset the tracking rate to 15.042''/s and began a series of exposures

12. We installed SAO DS9 to C:\ and added it to the system PATH

13. We wrote the AutoDoming wiki page 

14. Closed up

    1. Disconnect TheSky6

    2. Telescope > Movement > Offset/Zenith > Set Zenith Position, then press "Apply" – this sets the scope's "Next Position" to the local Zenith.

    3. Disable all tracking

    4. Then press "Start Slew"

    5. ASCOM Dome Control Panel > Close (Dome Shutters)

    6. Disabled "AutoDome" switch

    7. Disabled "DRIVES"

    8. Disabled "MTR DRIVER CHASSIS"

    9. Stored Deep-Sky CMOS

15. WE LEFT

ToDo

Notes

• We figured out that the deep-sky CMOS cooler needs to be turned on via the SharpCap Camera Controls panel (right-hand side of window under "thermal controls")

• Need to figure out what the home position of the dome is