Subject: 3.5m Night Log 20190314
From: cgray@apo.nmsu.edu
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2019 13:31:08 +0000 (UTC)
                      Apache Point Observatory
                      3.5m Telescope Night Log
                      Thursday, March 14, 2019
                                                           ACTUAL
 ASTRONOMER      OBSERVER(S)            INSTRUMENT     START  FINISH
--------------------------------------------------------------------
G.Stringfellow    G.Stringfellow        ECHELLE        --:--   --:--
B.Bolin           B.Bolin               DIS            --:--   --:--
K.Schlaufman      K.Schlaufman          ECHELLE        --:--   --:--
   INST       SCHEDULED     WEATH     EQUIP      OBS     NOT USED
 I/ROW/DN   START  FINISH   D    B    D    B    D    B    D    B
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
CU07/R     19:19   23:30    0    0   0.0  4.2   0    0    0    0
UW12/R     23:30   01:10   0.0  1.7   0    0    0    0    0    0
JH01/R     01:10   07:05   4.0  1.9   0    0    0    0    0    0
note: scheduled times listed include instrument change time
              ------------- ACTIVITY LOG --------------
Observing Specialist: C.Gray
The power is out on the mountain. It's been out everywhere ever since the storm... But the generator is running.  I can hear its barreling rhythm as the darkness descends. It will be the only thing to save us from the night.
We huddle around the generator watching the leak.  It's slow, but persistent. The crimson drops languidly descend, bleeding away our hopes of opening.  We take shelter inside the building, extinguishing all but the most essential sources of light.  Even those that stay lit are kept dim.  We watch them pulse, matching the heartbeat of the generator.
The temperature is -5C and falling.
There are seven of us.
The sky, a sea of clear, cold darkness, is filled with the piercing white eyes of indifferent stars.  The winds begin to howl like a hungry wolf stalking its prey. At midnight, it peaks to the shrill of a banshee. What's out there in the night?  Is it trying to get in?  Is that the rolling exhale of a vampires's breath or just fog?
The temperature drops to -7C.
There are 5 of us.
The moon sets, our last source of light extingushed should the generator fail. We huddle in our small, dimly lit rooms and wait for the dawn, hoping it will bring relief.
The temperature drops to -9C.
There are two of us.
The spindly, pale fingers of dawn slowly begin to scrape over the horizon, barely perceptible even to those of us peering from the dark.  The wind dies down, retreating from the coming light.
The temperature holds at -9C
I am the last.
The Sun breaks over the jagged horizon. The door opens! The keepers of the day have ascended the summit. Surveying the site they find the vampires were...ourselves.
TL;DR: The generator stayed strong but we couldn't open while its radiator was leaking.  However, we wouldn't have been able to observe most of the night anyway due to wind and humidity.  The telescope is parked at 85 alt in case the generator should fail during the day.
As a note, I did not exsanguinate anyone. Russet, Wayne, Dmitry and his family returned to Cloudcroft over the course of the night and Dan headed to bed around 6am.
                    ------- FAILURE LOG -------
PROG   INST   FAILURE MODE     TIME
    (SEDFNVOG)   TI/SHU    START  FINISH  DESCRIPTION
----------------------------------------------------------------------
CU07    E        T/H       19:19  23:30   On generator power; radiator leaking
            ---------------- FOCUS LOG ---------------
Time  Instrument  Focus     Az  El  Temp Strc Prim  Sec  Air  filt  FWHM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
               ------------- WEATHER LOG ----------------
                                   Wind                      Precip.or
     Time   Temp F Dewp F  MPH  Direction    Dust    Sky    Conditions
    ------------------------------------------------------------------
     16:00    33    18      2   205  (SSW)    175    clear     none
     17:00    31    15      6   271    (W)    192    clear     none
     18:00    29    14      6   294  (WNW)    156    clear     none
     19:00    27    13      1     1    (N)    162    clear     none
     20:00    25    15      4    49   (NE)    209    clear     none
     21:00    23    15      1   259    (W)    279    clear     none
     22:00    22    14      1   207  (SSW)    371    clear    humid
     23:00    21    14     21    62  (ENE)           clear    humid
     00:00    20    17     24    63  (ENE)           clear    humid
     01:00    20    17     17    65  (ENE)           clear    humid
     02:00    19    17     16    65  (ENE)           clear    humid
     03:00    18    16     12    66  (ENE)           clear    humid
     04:00    18    15      1   199  (SSW)           clear    humid
     05:00    16    14     13    63  (ENE)           clear    humid
     06:00    16    14     17    56   (NE)           clear    humid
     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: 1.2.4
    Current TUI version: 2.6.0