Date: 2021 June 17 UTC LBTO Observer: O. Kuhn (LBTO) Lead Partner Observer: J. Neustadt (OSU) Other Partner Observers: R. Pogge, Anusha Pai, & Patrick Vallely (OSU) Telescope Operator: Steve Allanson Special Assistants: none(!) Moon phase: 1d before first quarter, moonset at 0023 MST Summary: A difficult night, although two high priority programs were observed. The plan to start with the LBCs was thwarted when we saw a dark blob on the first science exposure and rather than take the time to investigate it (which would require moving the LBCs out of the beam), the decision was made to switch to LUCI. Both spectroscopic and imaging parts of the programs UVa_nirjets(LS) were observed: UVa_nirjets/G028.2-0.05 and UVa_nirjetsLS/G028.2-0.05. Seeing started out poor at low elevation but improved and the imaging was done in fairly good conditions. We reconfigured to MODS to observe ND_aeaqr followed by the standard Feige 110. At the end of the night, we obtained twilight sky flats at K+K (low illumination set is a bit high, but I think ok) and BrG+H2 for UVa_nirjets and internal calibrations for UVa_nirjetsLS. Issues: 56-min lost: A dark blob on LBCR images. IT 8407. This appeared on the first R-Bessel science exposure, but also was on i-SLOAN and r-SLOAN. Rather than take the ~hour to go up to the instrument, the decision was made to switch instruments. Later, with the LBCs out of the beam, I took a few deep images in these 3 same filters but saw no evidence of the spot. We'll configure for the LBCs early tonight and take some closed-dome flats to insure that the spot is no longer there - it may have been a moth. 21-min lost when, with LUCI, the G210 grating did not get set to the 2.15 mic central wavelength on the first try and required manual intervention. This happened 2x on the target and 1x while running calibrations. 25-min lost when during the JH spectroscopy on UVa_nirjetsLS, there was a rotator fault (possibly related to the heat). This required reacquiring the target. Weather: Clouds at sunset. Although the wind is coming from the E and driving the smoke plumes from the nearest fires away from the summit, there are fires all around and we had to close shortly after sunset for high particle counts. This passed quickly and we were open again before twilight ended. Overview (times are given in UT): ** Starting with LBC ** 02:42 Opened. Debating about sky flats, but it looks too cloudy all over the sky. 02:54 Clouds for high particle counts. 03:18 The counts are down and Steve is going to try again. 03:31 Slewed to the first field to start focus and collimation, even though it is early. OSU_Montor N4236 03:32 12-deg twilight 03:32 dohybrid Converged in 1 WRS + 3 FPIA iterations. 03:39 copointing - this is more for warm-up since it is early. I control-C'd it midway through - using control-C to copy… 03:45 dofpia Converged in 2 iterations. Estimated seeing 1.5" (blue) and 1.1" (red) 03:52 copointing 04:01 dofpia Converged already, though estimated seeing is 1.6"/1.3" and convergence criteria were relaxed. 04:05 dofpia - one more try Converged in 1 iteration, this time the aberration coefficients were smaller even though est seeing was still high: 1.39"/1.09" 04:06 N4236 science started On the red image, there is a diffuse dark blob. I took images through filters other than R-Bessel --- i-SLOAN, r-SLOAN, and it is there on all. We talked to Elliott, but as it would take about 20-min to reconfigure in order for him to have a look, and another 20-min to configure back to the LBC, the decision was made to switch to MODS. It looks like condensation or a drop of moisture on the dewar window, but the humidity is very low. The FWHM on the images is ~1.6 (Blue) and 1.3 (Red) and the LUCI programs can handle tis better. ------------------------------ 04:40 Switching to LUCI UVa_nirjetsLS/G028.2-0.05 05:03 Slewing to G028.2-0.05 05:29 Starting science L1 grating tilt error. We want to go to 2.15 mic cenwav. First, tried setting manually to 2.15 - did not work. then toggled to mirror and back to G210. Then to 2.2, ok, 2.18, ok, 2.16, ok and 2.15, success. Then I tried to start from the script item that would set the instrument configuration, but it gave an error. Finally, set the grating tilt to 2.15 manually and took the first pair of exposures manually. 05:45 Starting science Seeing started out at about 1.8-arcsec then improved steadily 06:42 problem with rotator - a Serdes error. Heat related. IT 3668. The error occurred during L1 20 and L2 52. 06:49 re-acquiring in order to finish the JH spectroscopy Olga forgot to absorb the 0.24" offset before starting the script. She tried to absorb it afterwards, but that was when they were already at the first (0, 60") offset along the slit) and the SW complained. Looking at the J spectra taken before the rotator error and those taken after reacquiring, the positions of the objects at both offset positions compare well. However, the +0.24" tweak to center the target best was undone (will double check log) - the trace looked better than earlier, however, as the seeing was better. 07:31 Moving to the telluric 07:44 Starting spectroscopy on telluric 07:50 problem with setting the grating tilt in L1 to 2.15 mic CWL. Walked it from 2.2 to 2.15 mic and took the first pair of exposures by hand. 07:56 seeing 1.3", dropped to about 1-arcsec by end. 08:44 Done ------------------------------ Reconfiguring for MODS 09:04 acqBinMODS aeaqr.acq Noisy spherical on SX - you can see this from LBT plot where from 9UT on, we are configured for MODS but before that we were configured for LUCI. 09:19 execBinoMODS aeaqr.obs Seeing on guiders 1.3/1.2" but on WFS 0.9-1.2"/0.95-1" on DX 03:30 18-deg twilight 03:32-03:33 Reading out the 3rd exposures of the second set. 03:42-03:43 Reading out the 4th exposures. Flux Star: Feige 110 03:45 acqBinoMODS feige110.acq 03:55 execBinoMODS feige110.obs 04:08 Done -------------------------------- Reconfiguring for LUCI for twilight sky flats 04:11 18-deg twilight 04:28 starting flats 12:11 Steve is closing up. 12:24 Starting LUCI internal calibrations for UVa_nirjetsLS before 148, an error setting the grating tilt. Each item of the cal script sets the configuration, but this was the only failure here at zenith. Set it manually to 2.15 mic and proceeded with the script. The grating tilt was set properly for all of the calibrations.