FLWO Tillinghast 60-inch Telescope Log
2018b May - August

Tillinghast Telescope Log for the Month of May 2018

April 2018 May June July August September 2018 Schedule PDF Schedules TDC
DateObserverInstObsLostWeatherInstTelObsComments
05/01/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 9 9 0 0 0 Clouds all night. Never opened
05/03/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 9 0 0 9 0 Projector arm was misbehaving, particularly in one axis, never making it to it's position over the fiber. After a few hours of troubleshooting with Ted and finally Wayne, it was determined this needed further work tomorrow to resolve. Never opened, whic
05/04/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night but with below-average to poor seeing throughout thanks to strong winds from the east. Quite productive despite the lousy conditions. No problems
05/05/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night but another night of poor seeing. Adjusted projector arm placement for ThAr exposures with Ted's help this afternoon, making an improvement in counts compared to yesterday. No problems
05/06/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.75 0 0 0 0 0 Nice night with decent seeing once early evening murkiness moved out
05/07/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 swaying
05/08/2018 MCalkins FAST 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 runaway
05/09/2018 MCalkins FAST 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies with mostly good seeing. No problems
05/10/2018 PBerlind FAST 8 2 2 0 0 0 Order new flashlights there are none here anymore
05/11/2018 PBerlind FAST 10 0 0 0 0 0 handpaddle north button is broken, non-functional status. In addition to quick fix we really need a completely new handpaddle that is ergonomic and has better buttons. Not the same buttons and caps. Better softer sturdier buttons
05/12/2018 MCalkins FAST 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies with decent seeing
05/13/2018 MCalkins FAST 6 2.5 2.5 0 0 0 Clouds throughout the night... Otherwise observed in variable but mostly good seeing
05/14/2018 PBerlind FAST 10 0 0 0 0 0 _
05/15/2018 PBerlind FAST 7 3 0 0 0 3 SI Journeys visit
05/16/2018MCalkins TRES 9.0 0 0 0 0 0 d type a command, hit enter, and there
05/17/2018MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 dirs
05/18/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies with good seeing. No problems with FLWO60 sluggishness
05/19/2018 PBerlind TRES 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 _
05/20/2018 PBerlind TRES 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 _
05/21/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies with good seeing
05/22/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies with good seeing.... There was some weirdness while running the calibration script at the beginning of the night. For some reason the script took one less flat than normal and the electronic log skipped logging several fi
05/23/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 dofinders
05/24/2018 PBerlind TRES 9 0 0 0 0 0 _
05/25/2018 PBerlind TRES 0 9 9 0 0 0 cloudy
05/26/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Thin cirrus early that quickly passed leaving clear skies for the night. Rather good seeing at times. No problems beyond the dofinders hiccup that Mike mentioned several nights ago
05/27/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 Mostly clear with only light cirrus at sunset and some visible in the skycam to the south a couple times during the night. No problems
05/28/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 Mostly clear all night with some debris-like clouds hanging about along the horizon most of the night. Clear overhead for the most part though. No problems
05/29/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 Short band of thicker cirrus part way through the night led to a brief pause. Otherwise, mostly clear with occasional light cirrus here and there. Seeing was OK but on the soft side, particularly late. Otherwise, no problems
05/30/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 9.5 0 0 0 0 0 Mostly clear early with increasing cirrus for the second half of the night. A challenging night thanks to the conditions. Otherwise, no problems
05/31/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies and good seeing. No problems

Tillinghast Telescope Log for the Month of June 2018

April 2018 May June July August September 2018 Schedule PDF Schedules TDC
DateObserverInstObsLostWeatherInstTelObsComments
06/01/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies (after afternoon cirrus moved out) and good seeing. No problems
06/02/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with relatively good seeing. No problems
06/03/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with good seeing most of the night and excellent seeing in the last couple of hours. Just about perfect!! No problems other than running out of dark
06/04/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Light clouds all night from a pineapple-express type system. Quick pass early giving way to mostly clear skies until after midnight when the thickest of it came through. Mostly to the north and south. Slightly below average seeing. A useful but far fr
06/05/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with average seeing for the first half becoming soft for the remainder. No problems
06/06/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with average to slightly below average seeing late. No problems
06/07/2018 PBerlind TRES 9 0 0 0 0 0 _
06/08/2018 PBerlind TRES 6 3 3 0 0 0 _
06/09/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Debris clouds at sunset that broke up enough during twilight I was able to get started effectively on time. Clear for the remainder of the night. Seeing was soft pretty much all night.
06/10/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with OK seeing. No problems
06/11/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night but with poor seeing to start but only improving to just below average. Not a great night, but a productive one thanks to the lack of moon to end the TRES run. No problems
06/12/2018 MCalkins FAST 4 4.5 4.5 0 0 0 When able, observed in mostly clear skies with good seeing
06/13/2018 MCalkins FAST 5.0 3.5 3.5 0 0 0 When able, observed through and around clouds in good seeing
06/14/2018 MCalkins FAST 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 NO observations, storm remnant moving through over the next few days... Washed the PAIRITEL primary mirror a total of 6 times throughout the night
06/15/18 PBerlind FAST 0 9 9 0 0 0 tropical storm clouds and rain
06/16/2018 PBerlind FAST 6 3 3 0 0 0 _
06/17/2018 MCalkins FAST 8 0 0 0 0 0 Clear with good seeing
06/18/2018 MCalkins FAST 8.0 0 0 0 0 0 48" upper slit failed to close at end of night. Closed it manually and have it on the tender (dome power is unplugged)
06/19/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies but extremely soft seeing that dramatically improved in the last few hours of the night..... 48" experienced a few shutter failures in the first part of the night. No failures after Emilio went to bed
06/20/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.25 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night. Soft seeing care of a north wind most of the time. No problems
06/21/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.25 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night but with soft seeing throughout thanks to a north and northwest wind. No problems
06/22/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.25 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with good to very good seeing. No problems
06/23/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.25 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night but with soft and variable seeing all night. Quite frustrating after the great night last night. No problems
06/24/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.25 0 0 0 0 0 Clear all night with soft seeing early that improved to about average near the end
06/25/2018 PBerlind TRES 8 0.5 0 0 0 0.5 _
06/26/2018 PBerlind TRES 8 0.5 0.5 0 0 0 clouds lingered for a while
06/27/2018 MCalkins TRES 5 4 4 0 0 0 When able, observed in mostly clear skies and good seeing.... Initial monsoon moisture making its way into the area over the next few days
06/28/2018 MCalkins TRES 7.5 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 Observed in mixed skies and mostly good seeing until a pulse of moisture moved in during the second half of the night
06/29/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Some transient clouds in the beginning of the night but observed mostly in clear skies and excellent seeing
06/30/2018 PBerlind TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 _

Tillinghast Telescope Log for the Month of July 2018

April 2018 May June July August September 2018 Schedule PDF Schedules TDC
DateObserverInstObsLostWeatherInstTelObsComments
07/01/2018 PBerlind TRES 8,5 0 0 0 0 0 _
07/02/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies and good seeing
07/03/2018 MCalkins TRES 5 3.5 3.5 0 0 0 Wen able, observed between an around clouds in good seeing
07/04/2018 MCalkins TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clear skies but mostly poor seeing
07/05/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 High winds all night with sustained speeds in the high 30s to mid 40s with regular gusts over 50 MPH. Clear for the first half with clouds late. Never opened
07/06/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 Mostly clear to clear all night. Soft seeing early that gradually improved as things progressed. No problems on what might be the last night before the monsoon sets in for the season
07/07/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0.6 7.9 7.9 0 0 0 Mostly cloudy all night with some monsoon rain at sunset. Broke for a touch more than a half an hour as astronomical twilight started. No problems
07/08/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 4.5 4 4 0 0 0 Clouds with nearby thunderstorms at dusk becoming mostly clear after midnight. Ran through until dawn. No problems
07/09/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Clouds all night with a couple bouts of rain during the night. Never opened. End of the TRES run
07/10/2018 MCalkins FAST 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Monsoons
07/11/2018 MCalkins FAST 0.25 8.25 8.25 0 0 0 Worked briefly through a hole
07/12/2018 MCalkins FAST 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Monsoons
07/13/2018 MCalkins FAST 1.0 7.5 7.5 0 0 0 Observed brighter objects through thin clouds and good seeing
07/14/2018 MCalkins FAST 0.1 8.4 8.4 0 0 0 window
07/15/2018 MCalkins FAST 3.0 5.5 5.5 0 0 0 Observed in partial clearing during the middle of the night with good seeing.
07/16/2018 MCalkins FAST 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Monsoons.... End of FAST run
07/17/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Cloudy all night for the start of the TRES run. Never opened
07/18/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 7 1.5 1.5 0 0 0 Partly cloudy at sunset then mostly cloudy for a while. When that broke, skies were mostly clear with soft seeing. Elevated humidity all night. No problems
07/19/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 6.5 2 2 0 0 0 Clouds early then slowly breaking eventually becoming clear in the last couple hours of the night. Below average seeing throughout. No problems
07/20/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 0 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Cloudy with light rain for the last 1/3 of the night. Never opened
07/21/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 6 2.5 2.5 0 0 0 robot did start observing without opening the dome. I forced it open with
07/22/2018 GEsquerdo TRES 1 7.5 7.5 0 0 0 Under outflow clouds from storms to the southeast early, then debris clouds for most of the remainder. Opened late in rapidly clearing skies to pick off some bright targets mostly in twilight. No problems
07/23/2018 MCalkins TRES 8 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 Observed with, around, and through clouds with decent seeing
07/24/2018 MCalkins TRES 5.0 4.0 4.0 0 0 0 Murky conditions for almost the whole night. When able, observed through and around clouds with relatively decent seeing
07/25/2016 MCalkins TRES 0 9.0 9.0 0 0 0 Monsoons
07/26/2018 PBerlind TRES 2 7 7 0 0 0 _
07/27/2018 PBerlind TRES 0 9 9 0 0 0 rain, clouds
07/28/2018 MCalkins TRES 0.5 8.5 8.5 0 0 0 Got a couple of observations through a hole
07/29/2018 MCalkins TRES 0 9.0 9.0 0 0 0 Storms, rain, clouds
07/30/2018 MCalkins TRES 0 9.0 9.0 0 0 0 Monsoons
07/31/2018 MCalkins TRES 9.0 0 0 0 0 0 Observed all night in clearing skies and mostly excellent seeing