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This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- ssp_procedures [2023/06/30 03:09] – ssp
+++ ssp_procedures [2025/07/03 14:10] (current) – astroadmin
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-This is a draft version of the procedures for remote, real-time observing at TMO during SSP 2023. **THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. last edited: 29 June 2023**
+These are procedures for remote, real-time observing at TMO during SSP 2025. **last edited: 22 June 2025 (AWR)**
 **__Remote Observing Center__**
-SSP NMSU 2023 will be using the 24"B&C telescope at [[start|Tortugas Mountain Observatory]]. Observing will be done from Astronomy Building Rm 119, a.k.a. the TMO Remote Observing Center, a.k.a. the ROC.
+SSP NMSU 2025 will be using the 24" B&C telescope at [[start|Tortugas Mountain Observatory]]. Observing will be done from Astronomy Building Rm 119, a.k.a. the TMO Remote Observing Center, a.k.a. the ROC.
 **__Observing Team Responsibilities__**
-It is the team's responsibility to have their observing log prep work complete and [[https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uuV2pqzd32rjeVn0kKzEAKkW8Cs5Z-2x?usp=drive_link|uploaded]] **//before dinner//** on the night they are observing. Missing, incomplete, or late prep work may result in the cancellation of your observing shift!
+It is the team's responsibility to have their observing log prep work completed before dinner on the evening of your scheduled observing shift. Missing, incomplete, or late prep work may result in the cancellation of your observing shift!
-The Astronomy Building is locked at night. It is the team's responsibility to be loitering outside the doors no later than 5 minutes before your shift starts. The TA on shift will let you into the building.
+The Astronomy Building is locked at night. It is the team's responsibility to be assembled and ready to go before your shift starts.
+  - **Early shift** Assemble in the computer lab by 8:50 at the latest and be ready to walk over to the Astronomy Building with the TA on shift.
+  - **Middle shift** Assemble outside the Astronomy Building by 10:55 at the latest. The TA on shift will let you into the building.
+  - **Late shift** Assemble in the computer lab by 12:50 at the latest and be ready to walk over to the Astronomy Building with the TA on shift.
 There are three general jobs during an observing shift. These jobs should rotate amongst team members from one shift to the next.
   - **Observatory control**: Responsible for running the control computer - controlling the telescope and the camera, making sure data is saved to the correct directory, etc. This is done from a dedicated laptop which the TA on shift will bring to the ROC.
   - **Observing log**: Responsible for entering data in the digital observing log in real time. Bring your laptop with you to the observing session to enter data in real time.
-  - **Weather monitoring**: Responsible for monitor the current weather conditions. In addition to the weather station status on the remote computer, Bring your laptop with you to [[weather_links|monitor the weather]] and periodically go outside to actually look at the sky.
+  - **General Monitoring**: Responsible for [[weather_links|monitoring the weather]], watching the dome via the webcam, and referring to the wiki as needed. Bring your laptop with you to perform these important tasks. //**In addition to monitoring the weather online, you should also periodically be actually going outside and looking at the actual sky. Once every 15-20 minutes if it's clear. Once every 5-10 minutes if it's cloudy.**//
@@ Line 23: / Line 26: @@
 **__The Remote Computer__**
-Start the necessary software on the remote computer (icons are left-to-right across the top of the remote desktop)
+The software is probably already up and running. **//If not//** start the necessary software on the remote computer (icons are left-to-right across the top of the remote desktop) in this order:
-  - Focus Max (talks to the focuser)
+  - Start FocusMax, which should also start SiTech and MaxIm DL (be patient)
-  - SiTech (talks to the telescope/mount; This should start automatically when Focus Max starts)
+  - Start ClarityII
-  - ClarityII (weather monitor)
+  - Start ACP
-  - Cloud Sensor (weather history)
+  - DON'T start Scheduler (It's for automated AAVSO observing - more on this later)
-  - MaxIm DL (talks to the camera)
-  - ACP (talks to the dome & everything)
-{{:observing_illustration.png?800|}}
 **__Keep an eye on things at TMO__**
-There should always be an open browser window with two tabs with views from two IR cameras. They use IR lights to see what's going on without messing up your observations. If the views are completely dark, click the "on" button on the left to turn on the IR lights. **This web browser is always open. You can minimize it, but don't close it!**
+The General Monitoring task should always have an open browser window with the [[http://tmocam.nmsu.edu/|TMO IR camera]].
-**__Connect to the telescope__**
+To turn the IR lamp on and off, Click Setup, then click IR Light (Mode = Off is off and Mode = Manual is on) & always remember to click save.
-  - Use the setup tab in MaxIm DL to 'Connect all'. If only the large MaximDL window is open, click the small button that looks like an observatory (eighth from the left on the row of buttons)
+You should be in the habit of turning on the IR lamp and watching whenever the telescope is moving, then turning it off before you take data.
+**__Connect to the telescope (if it's not already)__**
+  - Use the setup tab in MaxIm DL Observatory window to 'Connect all'. If only the large MaximDL window is open, click the small button that looks like an observatory (eighth from the left on the row of buttons)
   - Connect to telescope in ACP using the Telescope drop-down for good measure.
-  - Upon connection, telescope's park position is displayed in the SiTech window. It should be at HA = -2h; dec = 0deg.
+  - Upon connection, telescope's park position is displayed in the SiTech window. It should be at HA = -2h; dec = -20deg.
-  - If the SiTech status says 'Uninitialized,' Observing TA should contact Dr. R or Zach or Prof. Holtzman.
+  - If the SiTech status says 'Uninitialized' try connecting again. If this doesn't work, observing TA should contact Dr. R or Zach.
-**__Connect to the camera__**
+**__Connect to the camera (if it's not already)__**
   - Use the Camera drop-down in the ACP window to connect to the camera. (This step will also open the Camera Control window in MaxIm DL.)
   - This may take a few seconds. Be patient. (A vestigial window with camera name opens upon successful connection.)
-  - Once the cameras are connected, turn on the cooler for camera 1. The cooler is under the "setup" tab in camera control. The default set to -12 deg C.
+  - Once the cameras are connected, turn on the cooler for camera 1. The cooler is in the Setup tab in the Camera Control window. The default set to -12 deg C, if the camera struggles to cool down to this level, increase the set-point so that the temperature remains stable with a cooler power < 90%.
 **__Open the dome__**
@@ Line 52: / Line 56: @@
 ----
-The dome should only be opened if you're positive it's not raining and not about to start raining.
+The dome should only be opened if you're positive it's not raining and not about to start raining. The weather TA should check the cloud maps, weather forecast, and physically go outside and look at the sky before opening the dome.
 ----
-  - Use ACP Dome Control to open the dome.
+  - Use ACP Dome Control to open the dome. Look for the button at the bottom of the main ACP window.
   - Once open, the dome should slave to the telescope.
   - If there's a shutter error, try rotating the dome.
@@ Line 64: / Line 68: @@
 ----
-First team of the night should definitely do this. We need to make sure the telescope knows where its pointing. Subsequent teams, do this only if telescope doesn't seem to be pointing where it should.
+First team of the night should definitely do this. We need to make sure the telescope knows where it's pointing. Subsequent teams, do this only if telescope doesn't seem to be pointing where it should.
 ----
-  - Slew to asteroid coordinates first, using GoToSync in the SiTech window. You may need to unpark your telescope first by clicking Start to allow the telescope to start tracking.
+  - Slew to asteroid coordinates first, using GoToSync in the SiTech window. You may need to unpark the telescope first by clicking Start to allow the telescope to start tracking.
+  - Enter the coordinates of your asteroid. Make sure the J2000 button is checked. Then click GoTo. **Do not use the "Sync" button**.
   - Select FindBrightStar.vbs script in ACP window by clicking the "Select the Script" button, and click "Run".
   - Enter filter #2 at prompt. Type `2` into the prompt when flashing.
   - Let it do its thing. Windows may pop up and disappear; do not do anything until the dialog box in ACP says "Star is now centered in view"
+  - The FindBrightStar.vbs script may change the chip binning to 4. Change it back to 2 before proceeding.
 **__Focus the telescope__**
@@ Line 77: / Line 83: @@
 ----
-Every team should run a focus routine at least once, even if the focus 'looks OK.' Repeat as often as necessary. Focus changes with air temperature! The automatic procedure below uses an ACP automated script. Try that first. If it works, great. If it doesn't work, you have your three focus stars the choose from for the backup manual procedure.
+Every team should run a focus routine at least once, even if the focus 'looks OK.' Repeat as often as necessary. Focus changes with ambient temperature.
 ----
-**Automatic Procedure**
-  - Slew to one of your predetermined focus stars. To slew, use the "Gotosync" tab (the tabs run down the right side) on the SiTech window, and enter in the desired RA and DEC, and click "GoTo" **(do not use the Sync button)**. Make sure to use sexagecimal format for RA and dec. (hours:minutes:seconds for RA)
-  - Select AutoFocus.vbs script in ACP window by pressing the "Select the Script", and select "Run"
-  - Let the AutoFocus script do its thing. Various windows will pop up, don't close them. The ACP dialog box will tell you the autofocus failed or succeeded upon completion of the script.
-  - Telescope seems to stop tracking after AutoFocus script completes. Watch the status in the SiTech window and start tracking again if this happens.
-  - With the AutoFocus.vbs script, the filter is automatically selected to be the SR (Sloan Red) filter. The filters on the camera are not parfocal, so focusing in one filter does not focus in another filter. If you use the autofocus, use the SR filter for the rest of your observations.
-**Manual Procedure**
   - Slew (back) to one of your predetermined focus stars.
   - Set the camera to the filter you will be using for your observations, under camera control ("filter wheel" under the expose tab)
-  - Make sure the telescope is tracking and not stopped. If not tracking, hit start and "GoTo" **do not use the "Sync" button**.
+  - Make sure the telescope is tracking and not stopped. If not tracking, hit start and "GoTo" **Do not use the "Sync" button**.
   - Take a single exposure with the camera.
-  - Find the subframe box in camera control (in the expose tab): turn it 'on' and hit `mouse` and draw a square around the bright star. Out of focus stars might look like donuts. (If you need to exit the zoomed in image in MaxIm, turn it back off and take a new exposure)
+  - Find the subframe box in camera control (in the expose tab): turn it 'on' and hit `mouse` and draw a square around the bright star. Out of focus stars might look like donuts. (If you need to exit the zoomed in image in MaxIm DL, turn it back off and take a new exposure)
   - Set the camera control to continuous exposures, and press start. If you open screen stretch dialog box in Maxim DL, you can get the maximum pixel value, and also adjust the saturation of the image.
   - In the FocusMax panel, click "Jog" (on the left side) and increment in or out by approximately 100 (though you can change this number depending on how out of focus the telescope seems).
@@ Line 102: / Line 100: @@
 **__Find your asteroid__**
-  - Slew to your asteroid - use the "Gotosync" tab on the SiTech window, and put in the RA and DEC of your asteroid for the time closest to the current time.
+  - Slew to your asteroid - use the "Gotosync" tab on the SiTech window, and enter the RA and DEC of your asteroid for the time closest to the current time and click “GoTo.”
   - Use the Expose tab in the Camera Control Window in MaxIm DL to take a single quick exposure to confirm field of view with your finding chart.
   - If necessary, use Nudge Telescope in the ACP window to center the asteroid's predicted location in the image. For scale, the full field of view is about 36x24 arcmin.
 Take your time with this step. Placing the asteroid near the center of the frame will make things easier.
-**__Begin guiding__**
-  - Use the Guide tab in the Camera Control window in MaxIm DL to take a single 10-sec exposure.
-  - MaxIm DL will automatically select the brightest star in the frame, or you can select a different star by clicking on it.
-  - Switch from Expose to Track and click Start.
 **__Take data__**
@@ Line 117: / Line 110: @@
 Temperature Check - Before you take any science or calibration images, check the camera temperature in the middle dialog box in the Camera Control window in MaxIm DL. If the Cooler Power is at 100%, but the temperature has not reached the temperature setpoint, you're exceeding the maximum capability of the cooler and you'll need to set a warmer temperature. If the camera is cooled and the power is at or greater than 90%, you may want to increase the setpoint. It's better to have a slightly warmer but stable temperature than a slightly cooler but struggling to keep up situation.
+----
+IR Interference - Don't forget to turn off the IR lamp in the window that monitors the telescope and dome, **especially** if you are planning to take data with the Clear/Open filter.
 ----
   - Click on the expose tab in Camera Control, and switch from Single to Autosave.
   - To access the Autosave setup window, press the "Autosave" button.
-  - In the Autosave setup window, click Options to set the path directory for saving images.
+  - In the Autosave setup window, click Options to set the Image Save Path,
-  - Employ a clear directory structure! There is a Documents/Observations/SSP folder which contains sub-folders for every observing team. All your data goes there. Be very careful and consistent about telling MaxIm DL what to name your images and where to put them! It is recommended to at least make a new folder for each night. Make a new folder by clicking the yellow button on top right of the folder
+  - Employ a clear directory structure! There is a Documents/Observations/SSP folder which contains sub-folders for each program and every observing team. All your data goes there. Be very careful and consistent about telling MaxIm DL what to name your images and where to put them! It is recommended to at least make a new folder for each night. Make a new folder by clicking the yellow button on top right of the folder
-  - Under Autosave Filename, give a reasonable prefix for your images. Also choose a proper suffix for your image(s)
+  - Under Autosave Filename, give a reasonable prefix for your images.
-  - Set the binning to 2 (binning will always be 2)
+  - Let's start with a series of data. In the autosave menu, activate one of the lines to take a series of exposures for your asteroid. Select the type “Light” and the filter you focused with. Choose the proper exposure time (60 seconds is often a good choice), binning (always 2), and number of repeats. Update the suffix to your liking.
   - Click Apply, then OK.
   - In the Camera Control window, click start.
-  - Let's start with a series of data. In the autosave menu, activate lines 1, 2, and 3 to take a series of two 1-min exposures, one 3-min exposure, two 1-min exposures of your asteroid. For each line, select the type “Light” and the filter you focused with. Choose the proper exposure time, binning (always 2), and number of repeats for each line. Update the suffix to your liking. Note that you cannot have two lines have the same suffix. For example, if your first two 1-min exposures have the same suffix as the second two 1-min exposures, Maxim DL will display an error.
+  - When you get a chance, check the local filesystem through the vnc to make sure your data is saved where you wanted it to. After ~15 minutes, check the web link to make sure your remote data has been uploaded.
-  - Take a series of 11 biases: In the Autosave setup window, deactivate lines 2 and 3, and select "bias" on the type drop-down menu. This will automatically set the exposure length to zero. Set number of repeats to 11. Update the suffix to your liking.
+  - Repeat for series of 5 darks. **IMPORTANT: There is no shutter with the CMOS camera, so for darks you need to use the dark filter.** To take darks in the autosave setup, select the type "Light," and choose the "Dark" filter. Take a series of darks for each exposure length you're using. Don't forget to update the suffix to your liking.
-  - Repeat for series of 5 darks. **IMPORTANT: There is no shutter with the CMOS camera, so for darks you need to use the dark filter.** To take darks in the autosave setup, select the type "Light," and choose the "Dark" filter. Take a series of darks for each exposure length you're using. For example, if you plan to take both 1-minute and 3-minute exposure lengths, you must take two series of 5 darks, with one series being 1 minute long and the other series being 3 minutes long. You can take the two series automatically back to back by clicking the "2" on the autosave menu, activating the second line. Don't forget to update the suffix to your liking.
+  - Let's take more data now! In the autosave menu, activate a line to take a series of five 1-min exposures. Repeat the same workflow as above, selecting type "Light" and the filter you focused with. Choose the proper exposure time, binning (always 2), and number of repeats.
-  - Let's take more data now! In the autosave menu, activate lines 1, 2, and 3 to take a series of two 1-min exposures, one 3-min exposure, two 1-min exposures of your asteroid. Repeat the same workflow as above, selecting type "Light" and the filter you focused with. Choose the proper exposure time, binning (always 2), and number of repeats for each line.
+  - Right before the end of your shift, take another series of data.
 If at all possible, locate your asteroid in the raw image(s) and make note of its (x,y) pixel location in a particular image. This will make it much easier to find it again when you're analyzing the data afterwards.
@@ Line 139: / Line 134: @@
   - Set the camera to take "single" exposures.
   - Leave the camera cooled for the next team.
-  - If applicable, stop the guiding (guide tab of camera control)
   - Rearrange the windows in an orderly way (see the screenshot above).
   - Park the telescope (SiTech, under the "Scope" tab).
-The last team of the night should completely shut things down
+The last team of the night should shut things down. If the weather is okay:
-  - If applicable, stop the guiding (guide tab of camera control)
+  - Open the "Scheduler" application from the desktop.
+  - Select "Dispatcher Running". This will start-up automated observing for AAVSO.
+  - //**If you start ACP scheduler, ensure that the autonomous observations have started before leaving**//
+  - Turn off the lights on your way out.
+If the weather is getting bad, AAVSO scheduler is smart enough to refuse to start. If that happens,:
   - Close out any images in Maxim DL you took (keep the main Maxim DL window still open)
-  - Set the camera to take "single" exposures.
+  - Set the camera to take “single” exposures.
   - Rearrange the windows in an orderly way (see the screenshot above).
   - Close the dome (ACP)
   - Park the dome (ACP)
-  - Park the telescope (SiTech, under the "Scope" tab)
+  - Park the telescope (SiTech, under the “Scope” tab)
   - Stop the telescope (SiTech)
-  - Turn off the infrared lights in the dome (both tabs).
+  - Turn off the infrared lights in the dome.
-  - Turn off the camera cooler (MaxIm DL)
+  - Turn off the camera cooler (MaxIm DL Camera Control)
 **__Getting flat fields__**
-Enter details here.
+Ask a TA for the field iron. Make sure it's on high heat, high moisture settings and iron your fields until flat. this can take as long as 45 minutes.
 **__Accessing your data__**
   - Data is automatically copied from TMO back to a nmsu astronomy computer on campus.
-  - You can access your data [[http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/tmo/Observations/SSP/|here]]. But right-clicking on every single image seems onorous.
+  - You can access your data [[http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/tmo/Observations/SSP/|here]]. But right-clicking on every single image seems onorous. Someone might figure out how to use wget to batch download images.
-  - (Enter details about using the wget command frmo the Windows command line.)
   - Do not mess with anyone's images except your team's.
   - Do not trust the laptops' hard drives. Also copy your data to a thumb drive. Also copy your data to your own Google Drive or similar as you see fit.
@@ Line 172: / Line 172: @@
 ----
-**Stars are streaking significantly on a short exposure**
+**If stars streak E-to-W and look like a dumbbell - This is a known and not completely diagnosed issue. There are a couple things you can try**
-  - For this issue the stars will be streaking signficantly on a <1 minute-long exposure. To resolve, you need to jog the telescope a bit.
+  - Try jogging the telescope away and back
-  - Navigate to the "Scope" tab in SiTech.
+  - Instead of five 1-min exposures, take ten 30-sec exposures.
-  - Click the "^^" button twice (this button is above the square "Guid" button).
-  - Take another short exposure, checking if the streaking continues
+**"SHUTTER ERROR" appears on the status of the ACP dome control window.** - **FIRST** Please check using the tmocam if the shutter is partially opened or closed. **If the shutter is not fully closed / opened when this error occurs, stop everything and call Zach! (or if ACP asks you to "Force close the dome"**. If the shutter is fully open or closed, proceed with the following:
-  - If the streaking is still there, try clicking the "^^" button again.
-  - Once you've solved this, take a short exposure, and compare it to your star chart, ensuring that you haven't moved the telescope too far. Also, check the SiTech window to make sure the telescope is still tracking after doing this.
+This tends to happen exclusively when the shutter is near-ish the scope's park position (Aziumuth ~110). Some variation in the metal / position causes the physical dome shutter switch to no longer be triggered / read in this very particular spot. If you see this **DO NOT FREAK OUT**! This is a recoverable error! If you need to move the dome out of the position that is causing "SHUTTER ERROR", please do the following:
+  - Park the dome (no need to close assuming you'll be continuing observing!)
+  - Slew the telescope to the desired position.
+  - Use the bottom most / longest button on the ACP Dome Control window labeled "Unpark/Unhome" (this will unpark the scope and slew it to the scope. May also have to select "Slave to telescope".)
+  - And that's it!
+While it is certainly concerning to see "SHUTTER ERROR" - it is non-critical in of itself. As long as the shutter does not close while reading the shutter error code, it's fine! And the behavior of the dome has been changed such that the dome must first slew to the park position (a place that has never prompted this particular error) before closing.
+This error is very intermittent and some night you will not see it. While other nights you may see it constantly. **If you see it during a night, please inform the late shift TA!** While this error is non-critical for manaul observers, it will cause error for the scheduler! If this "SHUTTER ERROR" seems to be common in the night, it would be best just to close down (park) everything rather than starting ACP Scheduler.
+Note, while it is known by Zach and Jon to happen in a very particular spot, there's the possibility it happens else where! If it happens, please inform Zach regardless of if you were able to recover it yourself or not.