C40/IRC Observing Procedures

Initializing systems

Calibrations

Check that lamps are pointing to the white screen
Turn OFF platform lights from console
Set focus value to 23.00 (upward) before taking flats
In TCC-Guider PC, type 'DOMEFLAT' to slew telescope to white screen
Turn ON quartz light from grey box over lightblue rack and adjust voltage to 900 units
In 'nic' window set exposure time, filter, Loop to 10, and object to "Dome Flat"
Exposure times:
- X: xx sec (xxxx cts/pixel)
- Js: xx sec (xxxx cts/pixel)
- H: xx sec (xxxx cts/pixel)
- Ks: xx sec (xxxx cts/pixel)
Start sequence with START botton
When the sequence of flats is complete turn OFF quartz lamp on grey box

Opening dome, and Preparing Telescope Control System (TCS)

Turn ON fans in adjacent room (turn ON switch and set reostat near maximum value)
Push OBTURADOR on console to open shutter
Push PANTALLA on console to lower windscreen
Push ASENCION RECTA on console to turn ON tracking
In TCC-Guider PC, type 'DOME AUTO' to activate dome rotation
In TCC-Guider PC, type 'TP' to activate telescope pointing model
In TCC-Guider PC, type 'MP 2002.5' to set the coordinate epoch
In TCC-Guider PC, type 'roff -0.37' and 'doff -252.57'
Turn on power of guiding camera in lightblue rack, and turn OFF 'bright' button

Skyflats

Click PARK before taking calibrations
SLEW telescope to the East
In TCC-Guider PC, type DBB 20 (set step to 20 arcsec)
In 'nic' window set exptime to 3, choose filter, and object to "Sky Flat"
Start exposure with START botton
After completing the exposure in TCC-Guider PC, type SS to slew telescope south by 20 arcsec
Take 5 frames per filter with exposures longer than 5 sec between 2000-6000 adu.

Telescope Zero-Point

In TCC-Guider PC, type RA hh mm ss.ss, and DEC dd mm ss (coordinates of a bright star near the zenith)
In TCC-Guider PC, use the SLEW command to slew the telescope to the desired position
In 'gdr' window click CENTERFIELD; You should see the bright star in the guider field of view
Use the paddle to bring the star to the red cross and focus guider camera
In TCC-Guider PC, type CSET to zero-point the telescope

Focusing the Telescope

Point to a 10th magnitude star
Click PARK in 'gdr' window
In 'nic' window, set exptime to 10, Loop to 1, filter=Js
Use focus bottons to set focus reading to 22.7 (always moving upward)
In 'nic' window click START to start first exposure of 10 seconds
In IRAF window display image and examine star's profile
Once the first exposure is complete increase focus by 0.10 units and click on START again.
Stop once focus begins to get worse
On console set the focus to the best value

Using the guider

Use TCC to SLEW telescope to your target (If you enter an RA and DEC and type SLEW and the telescope goes nowhere, try hitting the escape on the TCC keyboard. This may cancel a previous move command that never finished and the telescope may zoom off to your desired location on the sky.)
In 'gdr' window click CENTERFIELD. You should see the target.
Use the paddle to move the target to the red cross (the object should be at the center of the detector frame)
In 'gdr' window enter x,y coordinates of guiding star (from gmap) and click GOTO. Use arrows to move the guider around until you center the star.
On the TCS keyboard you can use the arrows to move the white box and put it on the guiding star
On the TCS use F3 to activate guider
On the TCS use F1 to de-activate guider

Observing

Closing the Telescope