MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observing Report for 2009 Aug 25

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

Instrument: modspec + echelle CCD

Worked for 7 hours (most 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 start until 9:00.
   Beg: Overcast, Winds Light & Variable
   Mid: Seeing 1+ arcsec, Patchy Clouds, Winds Light & Variable
   End: Seeing 1 arcsec, Clear, Winds Light & Variable

Observing Summary:

The weather was odd in the afternoon, with halfhearted convection
cells spitting rain; some thunderstorms got organized just after
dinner, but nothing too close, and they drifted off.  Opened
a bit after 9, worked til 11:30 or so when it clouded up for an
hour or so, then worked for the rest of the night.  It was very 
nice by dawn. 

Only one glitch -- the first exposure of the night was very weak,
as if the shutter hadn't opened all the way.  The light path
was otherwise clear.  However, this didn't happen for the rest 
of the night, so I am sure it's useless to try to reproduce it.
If it starts happening regularly I'm sure to complain.

Mirror cover functioned normally tonight, and once again the
dome behaved itself well. 

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Submitted on 2009 Aug 26 [5:55:53]