From: "Frinchaboy, Peter"
Date: Thu, 31 May 2012 16:03:01 -0500
Subject: Re: [sdss3-25mlog 700] Re: 2.5m obslog 20120530 (MJD 56078)
Sorry Observers,
	My comments were not meant as criticism, and I apologize if taken that
way.=20
I trust your judgment on observing conditions, we're just having lousy
luck getting=20
Bulge data during bright time this year (we've gotten more during dark
twilight time,
for which we are VERY grateful of the observers efforts).  We are just
very limited=20
in our Bulge accessibility due to the low altitude and the moon position.
I'll be at APO next week, if you'd like to discuss any issues.
-- Peter
On 5/31/12 2:50 PM, "Fred Hearty"  wrote:
>Hi Steph,
>Thanks for the details.  We appreciate that the parameters the observers
>use for collecting science data are numerous, complex, and frequently
>subtle.  You guys do a great job getting data to the ground; we really
>have no reason to question your decisions.
>In our enthusiasm to get data when it's not raining (snowing, blowing),
>we might wonder if we properly communicated priorities and such to you
>-- but we collectively will try to not second guess your decisions.
>Will work on avoiding criticism of your decisions.
>Fred
>
>snedden@apo.nmsu.edu wrote:
>> Peter,
>>
>> The weather (in this case, smoke) does not know about your priorities,
>>and
>> we are not able to predict smoke levels hours in advance.  We open when
>>it
>> safe to do so.
>>
>> We opened under relatively high smoke conditions at the beginning of the
>> night to get the priority 9 plate plus the next one. We hoped the smoke
>> level would stay low enough for us to stay open. It did not. It only
>> dropped to an acceptable level just before 18 degree morning twilight.
>>The
>> priority 8 plate was out of range.
>>
>> Furthermore, even If we had been able to start the priority 8 plate at
>> 07:54Z, we would have intruded on BOSS time unless we only did one ABBA
>> sequence. If we had been able to open a little earlier than we actually
>> did, the BOSS plate would have been the proper choice.
>>
>> If you look at the weather data for the night, you will see that the
>>smoke
>> levels were very high and variable. Frankly, you are lucky you got the
>> plates you did. Some would say we stayed open too long as it was -
>> certainly, we pushed the limit. Your criticism is unwarranted,
>>
>> Steph
>>
>>  =20
>>>    =20
>>>> 5:35Z  encl25m : closed because of smoke and low priority APOGEE
>>>>fields.
>>>> Five hours were lost.
>>>>      =20
>>> Note: the APOGEE priorities are for scheduling decisions! Once they are
>>> picked we want the observed.
>>> Also we REALLY want the Bulge time!! Which was missed last night due to
>>> the closure, but you seem
>>> to have reopened to get a lower priority field.
>>>
>>> If you are going to close for low priority fields, please reopen for
>>>the
>>> high priority ones (8 & 9).
>>>
>>> -- Peter
>>>
>>>
>>>    =20
>>
>>
>>  =20