Category: Astronomy Report

Crew 216 Astronomy Report 27-NOV-19
Crew Astronomer: Michael Ho

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested: none
Objects to be Imaged this Evening: none
Images submitted with this report: nil
Problems Encountered: nil

MUSK OBSERVATORY
Solar Features Observed: No prominences observed.
Images submitted with this report: nil
Problems Encountered: There is a gap in the fence outside the observatory on the north side that I might have missed before. Is that normal?

Crew 216 Astronomy Report 26-NOV-19
Name: Michael Ho

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Robotic Telescope Requested: none

Objects to be Imaged this Evening: NGC 281

Images submitted with this report: none

Problems Encountered: none

MUSK OBSERVATORY

Solar Features Observed: Good sunny morning, getting the hang of observation. No prominences observed.

Images submitted with this report: none

Problems Encountered: Waiting for cable for astronomy laptop for imaging by camera.

Crew 216 Astronomy Report 25-NOV-19
Crew Astronomer: Michael Ho

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-14

Objects to be Imaged this Evening: NGC 7635

Images submitted with this report: N/A

Problems Encountered: N/A

MUSK OBSERVATORY

Solar Features Observed: None due to overcast sky.

Images submitted with this report: N/A

Problems Encountered: Part of the cable to the laptop is missing. Request for new cable.

Hello CapCom,

Below you’ll find the Astronomy report and a picture of the Western Veil Nebula.

Thank you!
Mariona

Astronomy Report

Name: Mariona Badenas
Crew: 212
Date: 15 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Peter: Would it be possible to have more observation credits?

Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

** Object Viewed #1: Pelican nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations completed (finally!). Attached: Final color picture with the H-alpha exposures included.

** Object Viewed #2: Western Veil Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations completed.

** Object Viewed #3: Eastern Veil Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations in progress (7/36)

** Object Viewed #4: Iris Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations in progress (28/85)

** Object Viewed #5: IC1396 (Elephant’s Trunk Nebula)
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations have not begun yet.

** Object Viewed #6: Messier 13
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations requested this afternoon.

** Object Viewed #6: Messier 3
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations requested this afternoon.

MUSK OBSERVATORY
** Solar Features Observed: None.
Problems Encountered: The wind was too strong today.

Astronomy Report
Name: Mariona Badenas
Crew: 212
Date: 13 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

** Object Viewed #1: IC5067 (Pelican Nebula) –> Observations completed.

Problems Encountered: N/A.

** Object Viewed #2: Veil Nebula

Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations will continue tonight provided the weather is good.

** Object Viewed #3: Iris Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations will continue tonight provided the weather is good.

** (More objects to be Viewed): NGC6992, IC1396
Problems Encountered: N/A –> Observations of these objects have not begun yet.

MUSK OBSERVATORY
** Solar Features Observed: Observed the sun through the eyepiece, but couldn’t identify features on the surface due to problems with the camera settings and the ICap software.

Problems Encountered: The camera driver used for ICap 2.3 was not correct. This problem has already been solved. I will try to take pictures of the solar corona tomorrow, following Peter’s new instructions (private communication).

Hello from Mars!

Below you’ll find the astronomy report.

—
Astronomy Report

Name: Mariona Badenas
Crew: 212
Date: 12 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

** Object Viewed #1: IC5067 (Pelican Nebula)

Problems Encountered: The telescope was open but it did not take pictures of this object (it still has to take 17 exposures). Attached: a color image of IC5067 without including the H-alpha frames, which the telescope still has to take.

** Object Viewed #2: Veil Nebula

Problems Encountered: The telescope took 19 exposures and stopped at twilight. It still has to take 49 exposures for this object.

** (More objects to be Viewed): NGC6992, Iris Nebula, IC1396
Problems Encountered: N/A (Observations of these objects have not begun yet).

MUSK OBSERVATORY
** Solar Features Observed: Observed the sun through the eyepiece and took several pictures of a sunspot (see attached). I still have not been able to take pictures of interesting phenomena in the solar corona like prominences or granules.

Problems Encountered: I think the camera settings on ICap were not ideal. Will attempt to take new pictures tomorrow.

—-

Thank you,
Mariona

Astronomy Report
Name: Mariona Badenas
Crew: 212
Date: 11 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

Object Viewed #1: IC5067

Problems Encountered: The telescope was open at the start of the night but did not take pictures of this nebula (this problem has already been discussed with Peter).

(More objects to be Viewed): NGC6992, Veil Nebula, Iris Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A (Observations of these objects have not begun yet).

MUSK OBSERVATORY
Solar Features Observed: Observed the sun through the eyepiece and took several pictures (see attached photo) but did not succeed at properly focusing the camera.

Problems Encountered: Camera wasn’t focused well. Will attempt to fix this issue tomorrow following Peter’s instructions.

Name: Mariona Badenas

Crew: 212

Date: 9 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY

Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

Object Viewed #1: IC5067

Problems Encountered: The telescope took pictures of this nebula for some time until the weather became too bad.

(More objects to be Viewed): NGC6992 and the Veil Nebula

Problems Encountered: N/A (Observations of these objects have not begun yet).

MUSK OBSERVATORY

Solar Features Observed: The crew engineer and I managed to observe the sun through the eyepiece (or at least that’s what we think). We also attempted to take pictures, but it was cloudy (see the attached photograph).

Problems Encountered:

1. We eventually had to stop observing due to bad weather (clouds).

2. The telescope’s pointing system was not functioning properly, so I had to use the telescope manually. I have attached a picture of the telescope once the alignment and pointing process is complete, and you’ll find that it is not pointing at the Sun.

3. Given that the pointing was not correct, I couldn’t verify whether the tracking system worked. In the event that it didn’t, my plan of action will be to follow the procedure that Peter described to Crew 211 last week.

4. This is a question, rather than a problem: what is the time system that the telescope uses for its own measure of time (h:m:s)? I assumed it was the Standard Time in Utah, but I was wondering whether this assumption is incorrect. Inserting a wrong time in the telescope would affect its pointing.

Astronomy Report
Name: Mariona Badenas
Crew: 212
Date: 8 May 2019

MDRS ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Robotic Telescope Requested (choose one): MDRS-WF

Object Viewed #1: NGC4236
Problems Encountered: None (see attached picture)

Object Viewed #2: IC5067 (very excited about this one!)
Problems Encountered: The telescope was open last night, but Skynet reported a mount error. The observations are still not complete.

(More objects to be Viewed): NGC6992 and the Veil Nebula
Problems Encountered: N/A (Observations of these objects were requested this afternoon).

MUSK OBSERVATORY
Solar Features Observed: None
Problems Encountered: Bad weather.