MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observer's Report for 2007 Feb 05

Observer(s): Thomas Brink
Institution(s): University of Michigan

Instrument: 8K

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

Seeing and Weather:
   Beg: Seeing 0.7 arcsec, Clear, Winds Calm
   Mid: Seeing 1.1 arcsec, Clear, Winds Calm
   End: Seeing 0.8 arcsec, Clear, Winds Calm

Observing Summary:

Good weather.  Seeing varied a bit, but it wasn't bad.

Had two problems:

1. Telescope seemed to stop tracking.  It was drifting in dec but not RA.  It could not keep a guide star in the guide star box.  While I was reading the manual section about tracking, it started working again.  This lasted about 15-20 minutes total

2. There may be a problem with the dome azimuth encoders.  Telescope was not pointing out of the opening in the dome.  The dome was about 25 degrees in azimuth away from where it should have been.  I first thought that the poiting of the telescope was way off.  But when I manually moved the dome so that the telescope could see through the opening in the dome, an exposure showed I was pointing right at my target.  Before all of this the encoders had been set properly.

more details in the trouble report.  

------------------------------

Submitted on 2007 Feb 6 [7:32:37]