It looks like there was a GPS roll over during the lock down. In order to fix this the OS / firmware needs to be reinstalled. However, this does not seem simple and requires a Ethernet to serial cable which I cannot seem to find.

Until then, I have turned off the GPS and manually set it - which seems to be working fine - though do note, that the date and time will get offset over the course of days / weeks. It is best to reset it before using it.

The campus observatory is used for the undergraduate observing and for monthly public open houses. We have two domes, each with a Celestron 11” CPC telescope mounted in it. We also have a 16” Dobsonian, which is stored in the North dome. You should get a key to the domes from Ofelia (both domes use the same key). You’ll also need a key to the padlock on the gate. Note that our padlock is the one on the small gate off to the right, not the large double gate at the entrance to the athletics field. The gates to the athletic field are locked with combination locks. Jon H. can get you this combination from the Athletics department, and it’s currently 1888.

The North dome is the oldest, and the slit simply pulls apart manually to open. The South dome has a moterised shutter, but we’ve had issues in the past with it not closing at the end of a night. The shutter is powered by a car battery, which is charged by a solar panel. When I arrived I checked the battery voltages, which were good. Power was also reaching the motor, and it could be heard trying to work, so it didn’t seem to be a wiring issue. At the moment it’s still unclear what causes these issues but it seems to have stopped as of September since I lubricated everything. I only encountered the problem once myself, and in that case simply waiting 5 minutes then pressing the close button again worked.

However, if the shutter does fail to close there is no way to manually close it. So the only thing you can do is move everything out of the dome in to the North Dome, cover the telescope with the plastic sheeting and weigh it down. Previously, apparently the fuses on the right hand side of the dome control box would blow. There are replacements in the top drawer of the desk.

The Astr110 observing nights run on Monday and Wednesday nights, and the semester will be split into two halves. The undergrads have to attend one night in each half. The observatory TA will choose the objects to be observed on each night. There will be 4 objects observed on each night; one with each of the Celestrons, 1 with the dobsonian, and finally a constellation which the TA will point out using a laser pointer. Typically, the same objects will be observed for a whole half, and then we change to different objects in the second half. However, it may be necessary for the targets to be changed due to weather conditions (especially due to clouds).

There will typically be 3 TAs on each night, one of which will be the observatory TA. The observatory TA will usually deal with both the dobsonian and the constellation, leaving the other two to handle one of the Celestrons each.

However, for the final 2 nights in a half, 4 TAs should be scheduled, because these are usually the busiest due to the undergrads leaving it to the last minute to attend an observing night.

You or the observatory TA should run a training night to bring the other TAs up to speed on the operation of the telescopes and the general flow of the observing nights.

https://astro.nmsu.edu/organizations/agso/telescope-guide-agso.html

North Dome (How to Open): Remove bolt from dome slit and pull open the shutters Power the Rotation Box / Motor (Plug the hanging cord into the center pillar) Remove the plastic sheet covering the telescope Plug the telescope into the center pillar’s outlet Power on the telescope using the toggle switch on the telescope Remove the lens covers

South Dome (How to Open): Power on the switch by the door labeled “Power/Red” Power on the wall box Power on the dome power box Open the shutter with “open shutter” button on the dome power box Remove the plastic sheet covering the telescope Plug the telescope into the center pillar’s outlet Power on the telescope using the toggle switch on the telescope Remove the lens covers

Telescope Alignment: When in doubt follow the scrolling instructions on the handheld device. Press “ALIGN” Use the 6 and 9 buttons to navigate the menu to “EQ North Align”. Press “ENTER”. Navigate to “EQ TwoStar Align”. Press “ENTER”. Navigate to a named star that is visible in the sky. Press “ENTER”. Slew the telescope using the arrow keys until the star is centered in the eye piece. Press “ALIGN”. Select a second visible star. Center it in the eye piece. Press “ALIGN”. Press “ENTER”.

Telescope Shutdown: Return the telescopes to the Home position: perpendicular to the support fork and pointing at the meridian. Power off the telescope using the toggle switch on the telescope Unplug the telescope from the outlet. Cover the telescope with the plastic sheet

EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IF SOUTH DOME DOESN’T CLOSE. *Note* - There have been reports that the south dome’s shutter will not close. If this happens, ensure that the IR Sensor on the dome is lined up with the IR Sensor on the motor. Wait 5 minutes. Then retry. IF IT DOES NOT CLOSE → take the precautions below

INFORM ZACH (leave a voicemail, send a text, OR send an email) Make sure all lens covers are securely on Cover the telescope with plastic If rain is suspected, slew the telescope such that it won’t act like a bucket! TURN EVERYTHING OFF Make sure outlets / plugs are not exposed to the weather (tuck them under the plastic cover if possible)

Numbers to call if intramural lights are still on: Call the Front Desk first, if they cannot be reached, escalate it to Michelle Mason. Intramural Front Desk: 575-646-2885 Michelle Mason (Directory of Intramural Sports): 577-646-4229