Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 05:12:50 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: 3.5m Night Log 20090506
From: "Jack Dembicky"
                        Apache Point Observatory
                        3.5m Telescope Night Log
                        Wednesday, May 06, 2009
                                                         ACTUAL
 ASTRONOMER     OBSERVER(S)             INSTRUMENT    START  FINISH
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 T.Yan          T.Yan, B.Keeney         TSPEC         19:20  22:35
                J.Stocke
   INST     SCHED(TWILIGHT) WEATH     EQUIP      OBS     DAY  NOT USED
 I/ROW/DN   START  FINISH   D    B    D    B    D    B   USE   D    B
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------
 CU03/R     20:48  05:12   0.3  6.3   0    0    0   1.8   0    0    0
  note: scheduled times listed include instrument chanyes, some ge time
                ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
 Observing Specialist: J.Dembicky
 Dust levels were a little elevated at sunset but still below closure limits.  We had a large fire
in the mountains about 12-17 miles SE of us.  I could see it coming up this afternoon from El
Paso and the Sloanies notice the smoke plume from up here on the mountain.  Smoke was moving away
from us.
 Nick gave me orders to close if dust counts rose above 3K, I pushed it just slightly but at 22:35
we were at 3154 cts and slowly climbing (dust had been slowly climbing for the past hour or two)
so I closed.
Dust continued above the 3K closure limit for the remainder of the night, we never re-opened.   We
threw in the towel at 04:50 with dust levels still over closure limits.
                ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
  PROG   INST   FAILURE MODE     TIME
      (STEDFNVOG)   TI/SHU    START  FINISH  DESCRIPTION
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
               ---------------- FOCUS LOG ---------------
 Time  Instrument  Focus    Az  El  Temp Strc Prim  Sec  Air  filt FWHM
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 20:21 TSPEC   375( 1183) -19  59  16.1 18.4 16.9 16.9 16.5   Ks  1.00
 20:23 NA2gdr    -2(33997) -20  59  16.1 18.2 16.9 16.8 16.5   R+ND2  0.94
                 ------------- WEATHER LOG ----------------
                                   Wind                      Precip.or
     Time   Temp F Dewp F  MPH  Direction    Dust    Sky    Conditions
    -------------------------------------------------------------------
     18:00    65    21      7   243  (WSW)   2622    clear     none
     19:00    68    24      8   264    (W)   2491    clear     none
     20:00    60    18      7   258  (WSW)   2700    clear     none
     21:00    59    18      9   223   (SW)   2836    clear     none
     22:00    59    18      8   244  (WSW)   2923    clear     none
     23:00    58    19     11   249  (WSW)   3149    clear     dust
     00:00    57    19     11   227   (SW)   3531    clear     dust
     01:00    58    17     12   217   (SW)   3550    clear     dust
     02:00    58    17     12   219   (SW)   3386    clear     dust
     03:00    58    18      8   218   (SW)   3318    clear     dust
     04:00    58    20      7   272    (W)   3549    clear     dust
     05:00    60    22      6   284  (WNW)   3430    clear     dust
     Note: the wind was coming from the azimuth listed.
     The convention used is north=0 degrees, east=90 degrees.
     The dust count is particles > 1u per 0.1 cubic feet.
                              TELESCOPE STATUS
      Telescope drives operational. Current TCC version: 2.10.0
      Current TUI version: TUI 1.5.1