UT 20131015UT FLAO+PISCES DX

Observer: Arcidiacono,C, Boutsia, K, (INAF), D.Miller (LBTO)
Telescope Operator:Bechetti G
SW Support:
AO Support: D.Miller
Telescope Support: Kevin
Instrument Support:

Summary

At 07:45UT - humidity at 95% and clouds on the all sky camera - the dome closed

Project_RUN	Objects	Filter	ExpTime	Notes
Bongiorno	NGC1068	Ks	10m	we managed to obtain sky in Ks but not the PSF calibrator - the target is not saturated - during this project we had to close the dome for humidity
Bongiorno	IRAS_18368	Ks	9min	we lost 1 hr because of problems to the AOS (IsTr 4861/4862) and we did not manage to get a separate PSF calibrator - nevertheless we tried to keep the AOref star in the FOV in case it could be used for the PSF
Cusano	659668577	Ks,J	1080s, 1800s	COMPLETED - we also took some extra sky frames off-target because there were many fainter stars around the central object

Details

12:35 Start K flats - 90s - high/low

01:31 Slew for pointing and collimation

01:48 we slew to CUS_659668577- we are facing the wind

• the shell ripped - problems with the autogain
• set the shell and try one more time

02:00 loop closed

• windspeed = 10m/s - on the adsec:5m/s
• mag of the ref star on the AO guider R=15.6

02:06 dither pattern in KJJK - 30s both

02:23 dither pattern in KJJK - with longer exptimes

• K:60s / J:120s

03:06 we tried to offset for the sky frames but the script gave error

• we sent the preset in TRACK mode
• seeing ~1.2"-1.5"

03:25 Slew to Bongiorno IRAS_18368

• preset failed - no stars found in TVframe - AO bias level need to be adjusted??
• we send an aquire preset - we don't fing the AO ref
• the TO adjusts the pointing
• after an aquire preset with the AO as GS and TS, we see the AO ref star on the guider
• we try with a different guide star
• it worked with RS=37 and TS=37 - we will try to manually center the field on the source
• there is a problem with the camera lens - it is offset one pixel higher - we tried to manually center it but the AO loop opened

03:49 send preset again - this time with RS=37 and TS=0

• before sending the preset DLM has manually set the position of the camera lens
• we move the stage to the opposite direction
• no easy way to fix this - we proceed with TS=37 and will offset field to center the target

04:00 preset succeded - we try to manually center the target

• the AO failed 3 times during 5-10" offsets and we had to repeat the preset each time

04:24 preset again after AO loop opened

• the AO loop opened again - DLM is writting an issue track (4861)

04:41 the last preset just closed the AO loop

• we center the source that is visible on the right and we hope is the correct one

04:50 start dither pattern, where we have in the field the target and the AO ref so that it can be used as a PSF calibrator

• safe skip - the AO loop opened during a 0.5" offset with the camera lens OFF!!
• we give up on this target

05:00 we obtain some sky frames before slewing to the next target pisces.20131015.10122.fits - .10127.fits

05:14 We slew to NGC1068

• while it is doing runAO - we realize that it is not using the proper flat ...
• the shell ripped

*05:38 shell set - load proper flat - send preset again

• seeing is terrible - DIMM 2.3"
• safe skip - recover failled - AO loop open

05:50 send preset again - the AO reg

• shell ripped

06:02 send preset again and we manually change the autogain to prevent the loop from opening

06:17 dither pattern in K

• the loop opened

06:26 dither pattern sky in Ks while setting the shell

06:33 preset again!!

• finish with dither in Ks

06:59 the loop failed after we changed the filter to H2

• while setting the shell and before doing the new preset we obtain sky for the Ks band

07:09 send preset to do H2 filter

07:17 dither pattern in H2

07:19 the loop is open - max skipped reached

07:20 slewing for the PSF star for N1068- since the humidity is rising and we might close down soon

• the loop opened - the star on the AOS did not have the correct mag anyway
• taking some more sky in Ks

07:34 we don't find the star in track mode - correct pointing

• clouds are coming in - the all sky camera is full of clouds
• we see the star and we center it on the guider
• humidity 94% and clouds!!!

07:42 send track preset with the PSF star - there is no proper guide star for the PA allowed by Pisces

• the star is very variable in flux probably because of the clouds
• if this fails, we will go to an AO star
• nothing to do - the star is not visible

07:45 95% humidity!! - the TO closes the dome!

08:40 obtain darks - 120s,90s,60s,30s,5s,3s,2s,1s,0.8s

• correct ones are from pisces.20131015.10346.fits - pisces.20131015.10535.fits
• there are some frames that don't have the correct header

-- KonstantinaBoutsia - 15 Oct 2013