From: "Noel Camron Hastings"
Subject: 3.5-m Night Log 2000.05.02
Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 05:36:33 -0700
 *******************************************************************
*                      APACHE POINT OBSERVATORY                     *
*                   3.5-m Telescope Observing Log                   *
*                        Tuesday, May 2, 2000                       *
 *******************************************************************
                                                          ACTUAL
 ASTRONOMER    OBSERVER(S)         INSTRUMENT   DATE   START FINISH
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 J. Holtzman   J. Holtzman         DIS-M        5/1    20:44  01:00
 S. Kent       J. Annis            DIS-L        5/2    01:00  05:16
  INST        SCHEDULED     WEATH     EQUIP      OBS    DAY   NOTUSED
 I/RS/DN    START  FINISH  D    B    D    B    D    B   USE   D    B
 --------------------------------------------------------------------
 NM04/S     20:44  01:00   0    -    0    -   4.3   -    0    0    -
 UC01/R     01:00  05:16   0    -    0    -   4.3   -    0    0    0
 note: times listed include instrument change time
                ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
1st Half Observing Specialist: McMillan
The telescope was opened at sunset, and we began observing as soon as
it was dark enough to use the slitviewer.  Pointing and guiding were
excellent, as they have been for the last few nights.  Once the focus
settled down (see below), the guider was getting images around one
arcsecond and sometimes better.
Again, consistently with the last few nights, I found it difficult to
keep up with the focus at first.  I was doing a lot of focus
adjustments during exposures, using the slitviewer.  The focus started
out around 200, drifted downward over the next hour or so, then
climbed back up to 200.  The guider focus also showed a strong drift,
starting out around 1000 (relative to the zeropoint for DIS), then
working its way down to -3000.  The reason for the focus drift could
be that the usual procedure of taking cals before opening (with the
shutters and louvers closed to keep the dome dark) prevents the
telescope from cooling adequately before observations begin.  Or it
might be an error in the algorithms that correct for temperature
and/or altitude; the altitude algorithm was updated recently, but it's
an unlikely culprit since our targets were in a narrow range of
altitudes.
* I had some minor difficulties starting DIMM which were complicated
by the fact that the web page and the guider monitor showed last
night's DIMM data until some time after I finally got it taking
measurements normally again.  Once it was going, DIMM showed
measurements which were worse than the guider FWHM; it was also
getting a higher flux for Polaris than in recent months, almost up to
the nominal value.
2nd Half Observing Specialist: Camron Hastings
Jim Annis took over at 01:00 and all went smoothly. Really.
                   ****** OBSERVER COMMENTS ******
        --------------- INSTRUMENT FOCUS LOG -----------------
                                               Wind
Time  Instrument  Focus     Az  El   #Temp    Dir  MPH  filt   FWHM "
---------------------------------------------------------------------
20:25 DISslit    200(900)   94  57 10.2/13.4  264   09   --    1.55
20:30 Guider     850                                           1.45
21:15 DISslit     70(746)   41  52 12.0/12.1  247   11   --    1.12
21:20 Guider     -50                                           1.31
#First temp is air, second temp is telescope structure.
              ------------- WEATHER CONDITIONS ------------
                               Wind                           Precip. or
     Time   Temp F Dewp F  MPH  Direction    Dust      Sky    Conditions
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
     17:01    57    20      5   347  (NNW)   1055     clear      none
     18:01    57    21      9   315  (NW)     973     clear      none
     19:01    57    21     12   297  (WNW)    944     clear      none
     20:01    54    20      6   267  (W)     1068     clear      none
     21:01    53    21      8   255  (WSW)   1128     clear      none
     22:01    53    21     10   238  (WSW)   1107     clear      none
     23:01    54    19      8   210  (SSW)   1210     clear      none
     00:01    53    18     11   214  (SW)    1053     clear      none
     01:01    54    17     10   209  (SSW)   1086     clear      none
     02:01    53    17     12   235  (SW)    1165     clear      none
     03:01    53    16      8   214  (SW)    1092     clear      none
     04:01    52    15      5   184  (S)     1185     clear      none
     05:01    51    15      1   215  (SW)    1211     clear      none
note: the wind was coming from the azimuth listed.  The convention
used is north=0 degrees, east=90 degrees.  The dust count is particles
> 1 micron per 0.1 cu. ft.
                             TELESCOPE STATUS
Primary, secondary, and tertiary mirrors in place and collimated.
Primary support system operational.  Mirror ventilation system in
place.  Telescope drives operational.  Current Remark version: 2.55b5.
Current guide software version: GIm Ctrlv3.0b27.  Current TCC version
is 2.2.5.
- Russet McMillan, Camron Hastings