OSU/RC Queue Observing: UTC 2010 May 16 ======================================= ========== Observers: ========== Rick Pogge (OSU), Matthias Dietrich (OSU), Chris Howk (ND) Observing Assistant: David Gonzalez Huerta Support Astronomer: Olga Kuhn Instrumentation: John Morris ========== Instrument: ========== LUCIFER ============= Quick Summary ============= (1) Calib : flats (2) Science : OSU_Mgiant program (3 target stars) OSU_Yan MOS program 2x 30min for field 85 (no finding charts) OSU_sellgren (mask1 however, problems with collimation which might be possibly caused in part by the low elevation) UM_Cyg_V3262 (target spectrum, but no telluric standard) Time Lost: - weather 0 - instrument 0 - telescope 0 LUCIFER1 all night, long-slit and MOS programs. Some initially low efficiency with MOS because some masks did not have the expected reference star holes, so we did semi-blind alignments (i.e., without final thru-slit imaging to confirm final alignment). Still managed to get the spectra despite this. Also slowed at low elevation by a problem with the WFS image showing vignetting of the pupil (due to the tertiary?). Otherwise a good night with mostly very good seeing. ============== Detailed Notes: ============== UTC: 02:10 -- sun set (local 19:18) Starting Sky Flats UTC 02:17 -- flatK 2 sec 3x; ca. 25000 cts guide-probe partially in fov UTC 02:22 -- flatK 2 sec 3x; ca. 16000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:24 -- flatH 3 sec 3x; ca. 25000 cts too bright UTC 02:25 -- flatK 4 sec 3x; ca. 17000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:26 -- flatH 3 sec 3x; ca. 35000 cts too bright UTC 02:27 -- flatK 4 sec 3x; ca. 14000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:27 -- flatK 4 sec 3x; ca. 12000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:28 -- flatH 2 sec 3x; ca 19000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:29 -- flatH 2 sec 3x; ca 14000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:30 -- flatH 2 sec 3x; ca 12000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:30 -- flatH 3 sec 3x; ca 14000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:32 -- flatJ 4 sec 3x; ca. 22000 cts borderline UTC 02:33 -- flatJ 4 sec 3x; ca. 15000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:34 -- flatJ 5 sec 3x; ca. 13000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:35 -- flatJ 6 sec 3x; ca. 12000 cts 3x o.k. UTC 02:36 -- flatJ 8 sec 3x; ca. 13000 cts 3x o.k. skyflat J-band 12 H-band 12 K-band 12 UTC 02:43 -- started pointing correction; pick a star at high elevation (load catalog and go to pointing star catalog): first high elevation start ds9 and iraf > epar LBTtools (to set date, i.e. data directory for the night) > LUC > epar ptcorr > set sequence number :go and follow the instructions ---> pointing is fine ============ OSU_MGiants longslit ============ UTC 02:50 -- slew to the position of the RV standard star HD90861 and using this star to do also the collimation UTC 03:09 -- OSUmgiant.scriptrvstd.obs started 2s 15x integrated o2dcr UTC 03:13 -- slewing to sdss4 --- SDSS-54882-3232-529 variable seeing, 0.8 to 1.5 arcsec UTC 03:21 -- OSUmgiant.scriptsdss4.obs started 120s 5x normal mer ca. 1000 cts max in individual spectrum UTC 03:44 -- moving calibration unit in UTC 03:46 -- OSUmgiant.scriptarc.obs started UTC 03:49 -- OSUmgiant.scriptspecflat.obs started UTC 04:01 -- slewing to sdss3 --- SDSS-54866-3214-611 humidity 27%, seeing ~0.8 arcsec UTC 04:12 -- OSUmgiant.scriptsdss3.obs started 150s 6x normal mer UTC 04:45 -- moving calibration unit in UTC 04:47 -- OSUmgiant.scriptarc.obs started UTC 04:50 -- OSUmgiant.scriptspecflat.obs started (UTC 05:01 done) UTC 05:03 -- slewing to telluric standard 3 (similar airmass) -- HR 5244 UTC 05:07 -- OSUmgiant.scripttelstd3.acq; moving star into slit UTC 05:12 -- started OSUmgiant.scripttelstd3.obs UTC 05:15 -- slewing to sdss6 --- SDSS-54885-3234-511 UTC 05:22 -- OSUmgiant.scriptsdss6.obs started (UTC 05:57 done) 150s 6x normal mer UTC 05:59 -- moving calibration unit in UTC 06:01 -- OSUmgiant.scriptarc.obs started UTC 06:03 -- OSUmgiant.scriptspecflat.obs started (UTC 06:15 done) ======== OSU_Yan MOS ======== UTC 06:24 -- slewing to the M085yhjdeep2 field UTC 06:31 -- telluric standard in the slit UTC 06:32 -- OSUYan_mask85_telluric_before.script started However, since there is no guide star there is no collimation done (script executed a tracking preset instead of an active preset). The spectra looked bad, what you'd expect for a star that was donut shaped. We had to improvise since the script was problematic. Therefore, the telluric star was moved to the center of the field and treated as a guide star to do the collimation using the wavefront sensor, but this telluric star was far too bright and the WFS saturated We then picked a nearby Persson standard for the collimation and the WFS adjusted seeing to 0.6 - 0.7 arcsec then the acquistion script is run again UTC 06:44 -- OSUYan_mask85_telluric_before.script started telluric standard star is in focus now; moving the slit in; test image taken to verify whether target is in slit; final 0.2 arcsec correction applied, checked, o.k. UTC 06:51 -- OSUYan_mask85_telluric_before.script started 2s 3x integrated, o2dcr UTC 06:57 -- slewing to OSUYan_mask85_acq.script collimation using the guide probe, seeing at 0.5 arcsec No finding chart was provided and following the Lucifer manual we could not identify alignment stars on the acquisition images for either mask (85 and 86). None of the reference stars could be assigned, and aagain the lack of a finding chart provided zero guidance. UTC 07:35 To check whether other masks have a similar problem we tried OSU_atlee project. Although there are also no boxes or slits at the positions of the reference stars, a finder was provided and the acquisition procedure worked well. It was more than helpful that a finding chart with the reference stars marked, was provided. Since such a chart was missing for the OSU_Yan project we lost about one hour. ----> Hence a finding chart is really most helpful. UTC 07:55 back to field 85 running the acquisition application again. It might be that the reference stars are very faint. Hence, again a finding chart with the reference stars identified would have saved a lot a UTC 08:04 time and pain. Next, we took a second slightly shifted image (5 arscec offset) and created a difference image and could now indentify the very faint reference stars used. This procedure is not described in the manual, and is probably not needed for brighter reference stars. UTC 08:12 OSUYan_mask85_1.script started (finally) seeing ~0.8 arcsec 300s 1x normal mer 6 positions UTC 08:47 OSUYan_mask85_1.script started 2nd round seeing ~0.8 arcsec 300s 1x normal mer 6 positions (UTC 09:19 finished) UTC 09:19 moving calibration unit in UTC 09:21 OSUYan_mask85_flat.script started UTC 09:23 slewing to the 2nd telluric standard star UTC 09:26 OSUYan_mask85_telluric_after_acq.script UTC 09:29 OSUYan_mask85_telluric_after.script started ============= OSU_Sellgren MOS ============= UTC 09:34 slewing to Sellgren.mos1.acq.script field error while executing script, last line of all scripts reads [END_OSERVING_SETUP] instead of [END_OBSERVING_SETUP] UTC 09:38 acquistion needs to be checked because of the low elevation (Dec -29deg) UTC 09:53 acquisition of the field - Sellgren.mos1.acq.script UTC 09:58 alignment of mask1 UTC 10:07 Sellgren.mos1.spec.script stars are elongated because either the primary corrections are too big to be applied or the guide star is too close to the limits (?vignetting the pupil?). We checked the location of the guide star and it turned out that the guide star is not located in the allowed guiding region, but inside the pickle and not where we'd expect problems. A new guide probe was selected: RA 17 45 50.619 Dec -28 52 41.54 However, the low elevation might have some impact on the collimation, i.e., still slightly elongated images UTC 10:25 acquisition of the field - Sellgren.mos1.acq.script UTC 10:28 alignment of the mask1, but the collimation still results in elongated stellar images ============ UM CygV3262 longslit ============ UTC 10:33 slewing to the target field V2362 Cyg UTC 10:54 pointing off by about 36 arcsec, probably caused by moving from low elevation to high elevation ---> pointing correction UTC 11:00 pointing correction done UTC 11:06 V2362Cyg_Science_Acq.txt possible problem with the rotator might comes up rotator reached a motion limit at UTC 11:11 UTC 11:11 V2362Cyg_Science_z.txt started rotator reached a motion limit and no guiding UTC 11:17 system restarted and V2362Cyg_Science_Acq.txt started target in slit UTC 11:24 V2362Cyg_Science_K.txt started 10s 3x integrated o2dcr UTC 11:33 slewing to HIP103159 telluric standard script was not supplied and we had to create the OB scripts for this telluric standard, as well as for the other targets Also no scripts for flat fields or arcs (night sky lines could be used for wavelength calibration). HR6378 is far too bright (J 2.369, H 2.409, K 2.336) UTC 11:45 HIP103159_SciK.txt started but no signal UTC 11:50 guide-star lost to bright twilight. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dark Calibrations at the end of the night UTC 12:00 started the dark script >source dodarks.txt (specdarks.txt and specdarks_int.txt) SkyFlats at the end of the night -------------------------------- none because no imaging