MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observer's Report for 2006 Mar 12

Observer(s): John Thorstensen, Holly Sheets
Institution(s): Dartmouth

Instrument: echelle CCD + 2 inch FW

Worked for 12 hours (all night)
Conditions were Photometric most of the night.
Problems were encountered, see the separate trouble report for details.

Seeing and Weather:
   Beg: Seeing 0.9 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   Mid: Seeing 3 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   End: Seeing 1.2 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable

Observing Summary:

Excellent night, marred only by a bright moon and a relatively
brief interval of poor seeing.  It was cold (-3 C) and the 
telescope jumped in RA a large number of times, mostly E of the 
meridian.  A few times it refused to track properly for a few
minutes - the usual lurching in RA.  Also, I think the guider
monitor may be a bit dim, and it is rather small.  Not a problem
for direct but may be problematical guiding off the slit jaws
in spectroscopy.

We are still on generators, and the anemometer is frozen.  
There was very little wind tonight so that wasn't a concern.

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Submitted on 2006 Mar 13 [6:52:15]