MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observer's Report for 2006 Mar 13

Observer(s): John Thorstensen
Institution(s): Dartmouth

Instrument: Echelle CCD with 2in FW

Worked for 12 hours (all night)
Conditions were Photometric most of the night.
No equipment or software problems were encountered.

Seeing and Weather:
   Beg: Seeing 1.3 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   Mid: Seeing 2 +- arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   End: Seeing 1.3 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable

Observing Summary:

Photometric night with no equipment troubles, but nearly full
moon.  The weather was very unusual, in that around 10 PM the
ambient temperature started rising steeply (and dewpoint dropped
some too), so that by 1 AM it had risen nearly 5 C; it continued
to warm more gradually until sunrise.  This made for rapid focus
changes and some moments of horrendous seeing, but mostly it
was quite usable (like 1.5 arcsec).  The much-warmer temps made
for a happy HA drive, by the way.

Still on generator power, evidently the lines broke in multiple
places around the saddle, but they've been working on 'em.  At
least the rooms shouldn't be quite so cold with this warming.

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Submitted on 2006 Mar 14 [6:52:23]