MDM Observatory 2.4m Telescope Observing Report for 2009 Jan 10

Observer(s): Julie Skinner
Institution(s): Dartmouth College

Instrument: Echelle

Worked for 13 hours (all night)
Conditions were Mixed most of the night.
No equipment or software problems were encountered.

Seeing and Weather:
   Beg: Seeing 1.5 arcsec, Clear, Winds Moderate
   Mid: Seeing 2 arcsec, Clear, Winds Moderate
   End: Seeing >2 arcsec, Clear, Winds Moderate

Observing Summary:

Conditions were better than last night, but seeing was only mediocre and deteriorated as the night went on.

The exciting part of the night happened during evening twilight.
I was taking skyflats when I heard a crash come from the direction of the dome. 
I thought something had happened in the dome and I went to inspect.
As I opened the door into the small room before the dome, I smelled a horrible stench.
Apparently, last night during all the wind, a skunk had gotten trapped in that small room and it must have knocked something over and sprayed.
I opened the garage door in the dome and propped open the other in hopes that it will leave. 
It really smells like skunk in the whole building, though, which is unfortunate (to say the least).


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Submitted on 2009 Jan 11 [7:34:30]