LBT OSU/RC Queue Observing: UTC 2009 January 31

Observers: Linda Watson, Paul Martini
TO: Aaron Ceranski
AA: Olga Kuhn

Summary:

Photometric at sunset.  The mirror chillers were not working tonight.
This severely affected the focus for most objects observed after UT
0700 because the active optics adjustments necessary to focus were not
possible (we reached the mirrors' z limits).  When the mirrors could
be adjusted to a good focus, the seeing was negatively affected by the
temperature difference between the mirror and ambient.  The images
started getting better after about UT 1000 because the mirror started
cooling down while the ambient temperature started rising.
Photometric at sunrise.

Observed:

L95, NGC 2403, NGC 628, 1923-626, 1930-310, 1591-097, 1940-512, Q0949,
M81, M82, NGC 4214, NGC 4395, NGC 4449, NGC 4605, NGC 4736, NGC 4236,
EGSF1A, EGSF1B

Detailed Notes:

UT 0100

Sky flats.  Good flats in gR.  Okay flats in rz (low counts).

UT 0150

L95 observations for standard stars in UsR, BR, and VR.  First few
exposures are out of focus but it corrected itself.

UT 0220

NGC 2403 observations.  Seeing ~ 0.9''.

UT 0250

NGC 628 observations.  Seeing ~ 1''.

UT 0330

1923-626 observations.  Seeing ~ 1''.

UT 0400

M81 observations.  The red mirror reached a z limit because of the low
elevation.  Because of this the red camera images are VERY out of
focus.  The blue camera images are okay.  We will stop observing this,
go to a different object, and come back later.

UT 0420

1930-310 observations.  Seeing ~ 1''.  Focus in blue side started to
worsen in the last few exposures.

UT 0500

1591-097 observations.  Seeing ~ 1.1''.

UT 0530

Tried M81 again and still reached a z limit again.  Stopped the
exposures and went to new object.

UT 0545

1940-512 observations.  Seeing ~1.6''

UT 0615

Tried observing NGC 3489 but the elevation was too low and we reached
a z limit in both mirrors.  Stopped the exposures.

UT 0630

Q0949 observed.  OB for this program had red side taking 0 second
exposures.  We left it as is for the execution of the first OB and
were going to change it to 300 seconds in i and 200s in r in the
second OB for this object.  But the seeing is getting worse.  We are
no longer within the requirements of this program so we will not
execute the second OB on this object.  Seeing 2''.

UT 0710

Tried M81 again.  We still reached the z limit so that the red
mirror could not focus well.  But we now realize that the main reason
for this is that the mirror chillers are not working.  So we will keep
observing.  Likely all objects will be affected by this.

UT 0730

M82 observations.  Hit z limit for red mirror, so the exposures are
not in focus.  Seeing ~ 2.2'' in blue.

UT 0740

NGC 4214 observations.  Hit z limit for red mirror, so the exposures
are not in focus.  Blue seeing ~ 2.3''.

UT 0100

NGC 4395 observations.  Hit z limit for red mirror.  Blue seeing ~
1.6''.

UT 0825

NGC 4449 observations.  Seeing ~ 1.8''.  Stellar PSFs still quite
misshapen even though we did not reach the z limit.

UT 0840

NGC 4605 observations.  Hit z limit for red mirror.  Blue mirror
jumped during an exposure.

UT 0915

NGC 4736 observations.  Seeing ~ 2''.

UT 0940

NGC 4236 observations.  Hit z limit for red mirror. Blue seeing ~
2''.

UT 1000

The mirrors are cooling down while the ambient temperature is rising,
so we should see some improvement in the image quality.

EGSF1A observations.  Hit z limit for both mirrors.  Some images have
misshapen PSF, but some are not that bad.  Seeing measurements down to
1.6''.  We used 5 minute exposures without guiding because the guide
stars are faint throught the narrow band filter.

UT 1115

Second OB on EGSF1A.  Neither mirror hit a z limit.  Images look
better, although PSFs are still not circular.  Seeing as low as ~
1.5''.

UT 1230

EGSF1B observations.

UT 1320

ri sky flats.