[Astro-mdm-report] MDM 1.3m Observing Report for 2022 Mar 31

[Galayda Eric]

Firstly, thank you to Jules for getting the telescope back to zenith during the night.  Somehow the pointing was way off.  Note that the tilt sensors really only change when using the hand paddle when the telescope is near zenith.  Once the telescope is more than a couple degrees away from zenith, the tilt sensors become useless at helping verify telescope position.  If this happens, it is recommended that the dome lights be illuminated so that the observer can get the telescope roughly to zenith by eye.  Then positioning can be touched up using the tilt sensors and hand paddle and encoders can be zeroed to zenith values.  After that, it is recommended to center on a bright star and once again zero coordinates to those of the star.

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ERIC GALAYDA 
Site Manager
MDM Observatory
950 N. Cherry Ave.          Ph. 520.318.8660/1 
Tucson, AZ 85719           email: egalayda at umich.edu      
https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://mdm.kpno.noirlab.edu__;!!KGKeukY!jbzv__WTBsoNLnZE4IfIly4_iFSRuS3zdX4LIEqhJyrfoDxab3uGiNz8Mrq5aRwC-85Z9VWkBAo$ 
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> On Apr 1, 2022, at 12:40 AM, Jules Paul Halpern via ASTRO-mdm-report <astro-mdm-report at lists.osu.edu> wrote:
> 
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> I happened to be awake, so I turned the dome lamp on, looked at the telescope,
> and found that it was not pointing at zenith.
> I put the telescope to zenith by eye, zeroed the tilt meters and zeroed the coordinates.  It should be ready
> for observing again.  Possibly a fine adjustment of the pointing will be needed.
> 
> -Jules-
> 
> 
> On Fri, Apr 1, 2022 at 3:01 AM obs13m--- via ASTRO-mdm-report <astro-mdm-report at lists.osu.edu <mailto:astro-mdm-report at lists.osu.edu>> wrote:
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> 
> MDM Observatory 1.3m Telescope Observing Report for 2022 Mar 31
> 
> Observer(s): Qiong Li
> Institution(s): UMICH
> 
> Instrument: Nellie
> 
> Worked for 6 hours (first half of the night)
> Conditions were Photometric most of the night.
> No equipment or software problems were encountered.
> 
> Seeing and Weather:
>    Beg: Clear, Winds Calm
>    Mid: Clear, Winds Calm
>    End: Clear, Winds Calm
> 
> Observing Summary:
> 
> We lost the pointing at the beginning of the night observation. The telescope position ('MDM1.3m Control panel') is not same as the target's position. I tested another target, and it still has RA_OFFSET~1m18s, DEC_OFFSET~7'0''. 
> Then I point the telescope to the zenith, without tracking and enter:
> zero ra=(LST) dec=31:57:12 equinox=2022
> It still doesn't work. Finally, I found the value for tilt sensor motion cannot change when I move the hand paddle. It is always at [-491,+458] at zenith. Next, I tried the offset (in the telescope control panel). The value for motion still didn't change. We close the dome at 12:00 am LST.
> 
> ------------------------------
> 
> Submitted on 2022 Apr 1 [0:00:32]
> 
> Observer Contact Email: xqli at umich.edu <mailto:xqli at umich.edu> (Note: will not appear in versions of the report archived online)
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