MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observer's Report for 2006 Sep 01

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

Instrument: modspec + echelle CCD

Worked for 5 hours (first half of the night)
Conditions were Mixed most of the night.
Problems were encountered, see the separate trouble report for details.

Seeing and Weather:
   Clouds from 0 MST until dawn.
   Beg: Seeing 1 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable
   Mid: Patchy Clouds, Winds Light & Variable
   End: Overcast, Winds Light & Variable

Observing Summary:

Quite decent at start, partly cloudy with big clear holes -- even
looked photometric for a little while.  Conditions deteriorated
rapidly around midnight, with clouds and thunderstorms around.
Opened for a few sucker holes but got no more data after that. 
Called it a night when it started sprinkling in the hour before
twilight.  A mesoscale convective system developed just south
of the border, impressive lightning in the distance.

I'm still having equipment problems but did not lose serious time
(yet) - see trouble report.

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Submitted on 2006 Sep 2 [4:17:07]