Subject: 3.5m Night Log 20161220
From: cgray@apo.nmsu.edu
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2016 13:00:06 +0000 (UTC)
                      Apache Point Observatory
                      3.5m Telescope Night Log
                      Tuesday, December 20, 2016
                                                           ACTUAL
 ASTRONOMER      OBSERVER(S)            INSTRUMENT     START  FINISH
--------------------------------------------------------------------
K.McGouldrick     C.Gray, K.McGoulrick, ARCTIC         17:10   20:04
                  R.McCabe, J.Gunnarson
B.Williams        K.Garofali            DIS            20:19   23:34
M.Hammergren      K.Nault, M.Brucker    ARCTIC         --:--   --:--
M.Skrutskie       M.Skrutskie           NICFPS         --:--   --:--
   INST       SCHEDULED     WEATH     EQUIP      OBS     NOT USED
 I/ROW/DN   START  FINISH   D    B    D    B    D    B    D    B
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
CU01/R     17:10   20:10    0    0    0    0   3.0  0.0   0    0
UW01/R     20:10   00:10   0.6   0    0    0   3.4  0.0   0    0
AD02/R     00:10   02:10    0   2.0   0    0   0.0  0.0   0    0
UV04/R     02:10   06:53    0   4.7   0    0   0.0  0.0   0    0
note: scheduled times listed include instrument change time
              ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
Observing Specialist: C.Gray
The night started out with some high thin cloud and we were able to observe for the first two programs.  While we were open, the seeing was good. However, clouds started rolling in just before midnight and we had to cut the second program short and closed at 23:34. We remained closed for the rest of the night due to the threat of rain.
There are two trainees on site starting their second night of Venus observations with CU01: Ryan McCabe and Jacob Gunnarson.
There was a power outage earlier in the afternoon which led to some checkout problems.  The mirror covers would not respond and I had to use open them manually a couple times and the telescope crashed into the dome on the first test slew but was fine after a reset.  NICFPS needed a Nubs restart.
Since it's the longest night of the year and I'm on shift and feeling a little overwhelmed running my own observation, training students, and making it through the night, I thought a little nightlog song was in order.  You may recognize this tune, it's a classic.
(Please don't fire me...)
*strum guitar*
Hello coffee, my old friend...
I've come to drink from you again...
Because the night is slowly creeping,
And I'd rather be sleeping,
But a Venus that was painted in my brain,
Still remains,
within the sky of solstice
And this long night I braved alone,
Narrow halls, I yawned and moaned.
'Neath the halo of a moth lamp,
I sipped my coffee but it's cold and damp,
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light (literally)
DIS split dat light,
And watched the sky of solstice.
And in the Venus light I saw,
Ten thousand photons, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing words that beep out in the air,
But no one dare,
Disturb the sound of solstice.
"Fools," said I, "you do not know,
sleepiness forever grows,
Hear my words and I might teach you,
Write your plans and I might slew you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed in the dells of solstice.
And the people bowed and slaved,
To the neon lamp they made,
But the Sun flashed out its warning,
At the dawn that it was forming,
And the Gray said,
"The rays of the sunrise are written on the domeface walls
And astronomy halls."
And whispered in the dawn of solstice…
                    ------- FAILURE LOG -------
PROG   INST   FAILURE MODE     TIME
    (SEDFNVOG)   TI/SHU    START  FINISH  DESCRIPTION
----------------------------------------------------------------------
            ---------------- FOCUS LOG ---------------
Time  Instrument  Focus     Az  El  Temp Strc Prim  Sec  Air  filt  FWHM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
 17:56 arctic  1003( 1125) 312  39   6.4  8.9  8.1  8.6  8.8   SDSS-g  1.48
 20:51 dcamera    720(  552)  38  62   6.7  6.5  7.0  6.4  6.5   --  1.00
               ------------- WEATHER LOG ----------------
                                   Wind                      Precip.or
     Time   Temp F Dewp F  MPH  Direction    Dust    Sky    Conditions
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
     16:00    48    12      6   303  (WNW)    581  ptly cldy   none
     17:00    46     9      5   342  (NNW)    135 mstly clr    none
     18:00    45     8      3   321   (NW)    126 mstly clr    none
     19:00    45     6      7   274    (W)    130 mstly clr    none
     20:00    45     9      7   260    (W)    117 mstly clr    none
     21:00    45    11      8   262    (W)    125 mstly clr    none
     22:00    46     0      8   226   (SW)     87  ptly cldy   none
     23:00    44     2     12   264    (W)    139   cloudy     none
     00:00    44    11     11   259    (W)    164   cloudy     none
     01:00    44     9     16   266    (W)    106   cloudy     none
     02:00    44    13     16   251  (WSW)    158   cloudy     none
     03:00    43    21     24   263    (W)    820   cloudy     none
     04:00    41    21     14   268    (W)   1488   cloudy     none
     05:00    43    21     23   290  (WNW)   1454   cloudy     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 > 1u per 0.1 cubic feet.
                          TELESCOPE STATUS
    Telescope drives operational. Current TCC version: 1.2.2
    Current TUI version: 2.6.0