From 3fad877deef6c4237c609b9fcd1197694824c6a7 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:20:36 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 01/20] Bootstrap: Default Workflow scaffold Repo created for a reference/review of the iTelescope.net remote telescope network. This commit copies the Default Workflow in (CLAUDE.md and docs/ from the Default-Workflow repo), adds a .gitignore (secrets and scratch), and fills in state/PROJECT.md with the objective: review every telescope on the network and provide a choosing guide, using only public sources (support article and the maintained Google Sheet; the go.itelescope.net launchpad is login-only). --- .gitignore | 6 +++ CLAUDE.md | 51 ++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/documentation-policy.md | 54 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/project-setup.md | 63 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/user-expectations.md | 58 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/workflow.md | 76 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ state/PROJECT.md | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++ 7 files changed, 350 insertions(+) create mode 100644 .gitignore create mode 100644 CLAUDE.md create mode 100644 docs/documentation-policy.md create mode 100644 docs/project-setup.md create mode 100644 docs/user-expectations.md create mode 100644 docs/workflow.md create mode 100644 state/PROJECT.md diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7d1347 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitignore @@ -0,0 +1,6 @@ +# local scratch and secrets +*.token +*.key +scratch/ +Thumbs.db +.DS_Store diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6a35dc1 --- /dev/null +++ b/CLAUDE.md @@ -0,0 +1,51 @@ +# Default Workflow + +This file is the entry point for any Claude Code session working under the Default +Workflow. Keep it small and read the detailed docs on demand so a session does not +load everything at once (see [Cost and tokens](docs/cost-and-tokens.md)). + +## What this is + +A standard operating procedure for building software with Claude Code. It defines how +a project is set up, how features are branched, committed, reviewed and merged, how +documentation is produced, and what the user expects. Copy this workflow into a new +project (see [Project setup](docs/project-setup.md)) and follow it. + +## The five rules + +1. **Minimise cost.** Staying within usage limits matters more than speed. Prefer + cheap actions over expensive ones. Read only what you need. Subagents and parallel + processing are allowed when they are the effective path (see + [User expectations](docs/user-expectations.md)). See + [Cost and tokens](docs/cost-and-tokens.md). + +2. **State lives in the repo, not the chat.** Do not rely on chat history, context, or + cache to remember decisions, todos, notes, architecture, or objectives. Write them + to the committed markdown files under `state/` so a fresh session can pick up with + no prior context. See [Documentation policy](docs/documentation-policy.md). + +3. **Every feature is a branch.** Create a branch, commit with full notes in each + message, open a PR describing the feature, the tools used and what was achieved, + then merge into the trunk. See [Workflow](docs/workflow.md). + +4. **Code and its documentation are written in separate sessions.** The building + session comments the code well enough that a later, cold session can write the docs + from git history and comments alone. See [Documentation policy](docs/documentation-policy.md). + +5. **Comment for a stranger.** Assume the next session has no memory of why you did + anything. The commit history and code comments are the only record. + +## Start of every session + +1. Read `state/PROJECT.md`, `state/TODO.md` and `state/DECISIONS.md` (cheap, small). +2. Check `git log --oneline -15` and `git status` to see where things stand. +3. Do the work under the rules above. +4. Before ending, update the `state/` files so the next session needs no chat history. + +## Detailed docs + +- [Project setup](docs/project-setup.md) - starting a new project on this workflow +- [Workflow](docs/workflow.md) - branch, commit, PR and merge process +- [Cost and tokens](docs/cost-and-tokens.md) - keeping usage within limits +- [Documentation policy](docs/documentation-policy.md) - comments, and docs in a separate session +- [User expectations](docs/user-expectations.md) - how the user wants Claude to behave diff --git a/docs/documentation-policy.md b/docs/documentation-policy.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..287c0d8 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/documentation-policy.md @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +# Documentation policy + +Two separate ideas, both about making the repo the single source of truth so that no +session ever depends on another session's chat history. + +## A. State lives in committed markdown, not in the chat + +Do not use chat history, context, or cache as memory. They cost tokens to carry and +vanish between sessions. Instead, everything a future session needs is written to the +`state/` directory and committed: + +| File | Holds | +|------|-------| +| `PROJECT.md` | Objectives, scope, description, audience. The anchor. | +| `ARCHITECTURE.md` | How the system is built and why it is built that way. | +| `DECISIONS.md` | A dated log of decisions and their rationale. Append, never rewrite history. | +| `TODO.md` | Done / in progress / pending. The current state of play. | +| `NOTES.md` | Working notes, gotchas, environment quirks, dead ends to avoid. | + +Update these as part of the work, not as an afterthought. A change to how the system +works is not finished until `ARCHITECTURE.md` or `DECISIONS.md` reflects it. + +Templates for all of these are in `templates/`. + +## B. Documentation is written in a separate session from the code + +The user facing documentation (README, guides, API docs, changelog) is **not** written +in the same session that writes the code. This is deliberate: + +- It forces the building session to leave a complete trail. If the code cannot be + documented later from git history and comments alone, the trail was not good enough. +- It keeps each session cheap and focused. A building session spends its budget + building; a documentation session spends its budget writing docs. +- It gives the docs a cold, independent reader who documents what the code actually + says, not what the author remembers intending. + +### What the building session must leave behind + +So the later documentation session can work with no chat history: + +1. **Commit messages with full notes** - what changed, why, and any trade-offs. See + [Workflow](workflow.md). +2. **A complete PR description** - feature, tools used, what was achieved, how it works. +3. **Code comments that explain intent** - not what a line does (the code shows that) + but why it exists, what it assumes, and what would break it. Comment for a stranger + who was not in the room. +4. **Current `state/` files** - especially `ARCHITECTURE.md` and `DECISIONS.md`. + +### What the documentation session does + +Starts cold. Reads `git log`, the PRs, the code and its comments, and the `state/` +files. Writes the documentation from those alone. If something cannot be understood +from the repo, that is a gap to flag, not a reason to guess or to reach for lost chat +context. diff --git a/docs/project-setup.md b/docs/project-setup.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5abcf9 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/project-setup.md @@ -0,0 +1,63 @@ +# Project setup + +How to start a new project on the Default Workflow. Do this once, at the beginning of +a project, before any feature work. + +## 1. Create the repository + +- Create an empty repo on the forge (git.discworld.casa or wherever the project lives). +- Clone it, or `git init` locally and add the remote. +- The trunk branch is `main` unless the forge defaults to `master`; either is fine, be + consistent and refer to it as "the trunk" in docs. + +## 2. Copy the workflow files in + +From this Default-Workflow repo, copy into the new project root: + +- `CLAUDE.md` - so every session loads the workflow automatically. +- `docs/` - the detailed workflow docs (or link to them if you prefer one source of + truth; copying keeps the project self contained and offline readable). +- `templates/*` into `state/` (see next step). + +## 3. Create the state directory + +The `state/` directory is the project's memory. It replaces chat history. Copy the +templates and fill in the project specifics: + +``` +state/ + PROJECT.md - objectives, scope, description, who it is for + ARCHITECTURE.md - how the system is built and why + DECISIONS.md - dated log of decisions and their rationale + TODO.md - what is done, in progress, and pending + NOTES.md - working notes, gotchas, environment quirks +``` + +Fill in `PROJECT.md` first. It anchors every later session. A session that reads only +`PROJECT.md`, `TODO.md` and `DECISIONS.md` should understand what the project is and +what to do next. + +## 4. Add a .gitignore + +Ignore build artefacts, dependencies, secrets and local scratch. Never commit tokens +or credentials. + +## 5. First commit + +Commit the scaffold to the trunk directly (this is bootstrap, not a feature): + +``` +git add . +git commit +``` + +Write a full commit message describing what the scaffold contains and why. From here +on, all work follows the [Workflow](workflow.md): a branch per feature. + +## Checklist + +- [ ] Repo created and remote set +- [ ] `CLAUDE.md` and `docs/` present in project root +- [ ] `state/` created from templates, `PROJECT.md` filled in +- [ ] `.gitignore` in place, no secrets tracked +- [ ] Scaffold committed to the trunk diff --git a/docs/user-expectations.md b/docs/user-expectations.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ea17fe5 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/user-expectations.md @@ -0,0 +1,58 @@ +# User expectations + +How the user expects a Claude Code session to behave under this workflow. Read this +once per session; it rarely changes. + +## Work autonomously + +Do not stop to ask which task to pick up next, or for confirmation before routine work. +Default sensibly and keep shipping. Read `state/TODO.md`, choose the next sensible +item, do it. Only ask when a decision is genuinely the user's to make and cannot be +resolved from the repo or sensible defaults. + +## Cost before speed + +Staying within usage limits is more important than finishing fast or gold plating. +When in doubt, take the cheaper path. See [Cost and tokens](cost-and-tokens.md). + +## Subagents are allowed + +Spawning subagents, parallel agents, background tasks and multi-agent workflows is a +normal, permitted part of the workflow. Using them is not a breach of the cost rule +when they are the effective path: fan-out searches that keep bulk file contents out of +the main context, independent pieces of work run in parallel, or verification passes +over completed work. + +The cost rule still applies to each one. A subagent must earn its keep: do not spawn +one for work a single cheap tool call can do, and do not fan out speculatively. Record +subagent use in the PR under "Tools used" so the cost trail stays honest. + +## Leave a clean trail + +Every feature ends as: a merged branch, full commit notes, a complete PR, current +`state/` files, and code commented well enough to document later. The user should be +able to open the repo weeks later, with no memory of the session, and understand what +happened and why from the repo alone. + +## Report honestly + +If tests fail, say so with the output. If a step was skipped, say that. If something is +done and verified, say so plainly without hedging. Do not claim more than was done. + +## Writing style + +- No em dashes in prose. Use commas, full stops, or restructure. +- British spelling in prose and copy. Preserve code identifiers as written. +- Plain, direct language. Say what happened. + +## Confirm before the hard to reverse + +Routine coding is autonomous. But confirm first for actions that are hard to undo or +that reach outside the repo: force pushes, history rewrites, deleting things you did +not create, deploying, or sending data to external services. Approval for one such +action does not carry to the next. + +## The building session stops at merge + +Do not write the user facing documentation in the building session. That is a separate +session's job. See [Documentation policy](documentation-policy.md). diff --git a/docs/workflow.md b/docs/workflow.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c4b288a --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/workflow.md @@ -0,0 +1,76 @@ +# Workflow + +The branch, commit, PR and merge process for every feature. A "feature" is any unit of +change: a new capability, a fix, a refactor. + +## 1. Branch per feature + +Never build directly on the trunk. Start each feature from an up to date trunk: + +``` +git checkout main +git pull +git checkout -b feature/ +``` + +Use a clear prefix: `feature/`, `fix/`, `refactor/`, `docs/`. + +## 2. Commit with full notes + +Commit in logical steps, not one giant dump at the end. Every commit message carries +the full record of what changed and why, because the commit history is the primary +source a later documentation session reads. + +Message shape: + +``` +: + +What changed: +- : +- ... + +Why: +- + +Notes: +- +``` + +Do not write "written by Claude" in code or messages. If the project convention +requires an authorship tag (for example `ai:claude`), follow that project's rule. + +## 3. Keep state files current + +As you work, update `state/TODO.md` and `state/DECISIONS.md`. Decisions go in the log +with a date and rationale. This is what lets the next session skip the chat history. + +## 4. Open a PR when the feature is complete + +When the feature is done and self consistent, push the branch and open a PR. The PR +description is the human and machine readable summary of the feature. Use the template +in `templates/PR_TEMPLATE.md`. It must state: + +- **Feature** - what was built, in plain terms. +- **What was achieved** - the outcome, and how to verify it. +- **Tools used** - languages, libraries, commands, services involved. +- **How it works** - enough for a documentation session to start from the PR alone. +- **Follow ups** - anything deferred. + +## 5. Merge into the trunk + +Merge the PR into the trunk once it is complete. Prefer a merge that preserves the +commit history (the notes in each commit are valuable). Delete the feature branch after +merge. + +## 6. Do not document in this session + +Writing the user facing documentation is a separate job, done in a separate session, +against the merged history. See [Documentation policy](documentation-policy.md). Your +job in the building session ends at a merged, well commented, well described feature. + +## Summary + +``` +branch -> commit (full notes) -> update state/ -> PR (feature, tools, outcome) -> merge -> stop +``` diff --git a/state/PROJECT.md b/state/PROJECT.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9139d4e --- /dev/null +++ b/state/PROJECT.md @@ -0,0 +1,42 @@ +# Project: itelescope + +> The anchor document. A session that reads only this, TODO.md and DECISIONS.md should +> understand what the project is and what to do next. Keep it current. + +## Objective + +A reference and review of the iTelescope.net remote telescope network: what each +telescope is, what it is good at, and which one to book for a given kind of target. + +## Scope + +- In scope: reviews and spec tables for every telescope on the iTelescope network, + grouped by observatory; source data snapshots; guidance on choosing a scope. +- Out of scope: automating bookings, image processing, anything requiring the + iTelescope login (the launchpad at go.itelescope.net is authenticated). + +## Audience + +Laurence, when planning imaging or photometry runs on iTelescope, and anyone else +choosing a telescope on the network. + +## Description + +iTelescope.net operates remote telescopes across six observatories (Utah, Sierra +California, Siding Spring Australia, Deep Sky Chile, AstroCamp Spain, e-EyE Spain). +Public specs are scattered across a Freshdesk support article and a maintained Google +Sheet. This repo snapshots that data and turns it into a usable review: per-telescope +assessments plus a "which scope for what" guide. + +## Success criteria + +- Every active telescope on the network has an entry with specs and an assessment. +- A reader can pick the right scope for widefield, deep space, galaxies, photometry, + or free imaging without visiting the source pages. + +## Key facts + +- Trunk branch: main +- Forge / remote: https://git.discworld.casa/laurence/itelescope +- Runtime / stack: markdown only; source data in data/ as CSV +- How to run it: nothing to run; read TELESCOPES.md From 6555e774d915c811c4299f9aa180f8623c1910cf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2026 14:20:49 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 02/20] Telescope review: all 23 active iTelescope systems Adds TELESCOPES.md, a per-observatory review of every telescope on the iTelescope.net network with a spec block and an assessment for each, a 'choosing a telescope' use-case table, and general observations (CCD to CMOS migration, Bin2 software limits, elevation limits, network-side calibration). Data sourcing: - data/itelescope-telescopes.csv is a verbatim CSV export of iTelescope's maintained specs Google Sheet (24 rows: 23 active scopes + T74 placeholder). - The support article (Freshdesk 247371) supplied observatory groupings and minimum elevation limits; it still lists T9/T19/T31/T69 which the sheet has dropped - the review follows the sheet and records the discrepancy. - go.itelescope.net is an authenticated app shell; nothing was scraped from it. Also fills in the remaining state/ files: TODO (pending: T74 specs, retired scope reconciliation, periodic sheet refresh), DECISIONS (source-of-truth choice, single-document structure, no launchpad scraping), NOTES (refresh command, CSV quirks), ARCHITECTURE (repo layout), and README. --- README.md | 16 ++ TELESCOPES.md | 377 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ data/itelescope-telescopes.csv | 78 +++++++ state/ARCHITECTURE.md | 16 ++ state/DECISIONS.md | 31 +++ state/NOTES.md | 12 ++ state/PR_TEMPLATE.md | 35 +++ state/TODO.md | 25 +++ 8 files changed, 590 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md create mode 100644 TELESCOPES.md create mode 100644 data/itelescope-telescopes.csv create mode 100644 state/ARCHITECTURE.md create mode 100644 state/DECISIONS.md create mode 100644 state/NOTES.md create mode 100644 state/PR_TEMPLATE.md create mode 100644 state/TODO.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df7dc77 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +# itelescope + +Reference and review of the [iTelescope.net](https://www.itelescope.net/) remote +telescope network: every telescope, its specs, what it is good at, and which one to +book for a given target. + +- **[TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md)**: the full review, grouped by observatory, with a + "choosing a telescope" guide at the end. +- **[data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)**: snapshot of + the network's maintained specs sheet (source of truth for the numbers). +- **state/**: project state under the Default Workflow. + +Sources: the iTelescope support article +([telescope summary](https://support.itelescope.net/support/solutions/articles/247371)) +and the network's maintained Google Sheet. The launchpad at +[go.itelescope.net](https://go.itelescope.net/) is login-only. diff --git a/TELESCOPES.md b/TELESCOPES.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae73a10 --- /dev/null +++ b/TELESCOPES.md @@ -0,0 +1,377 @@ +# iTelescope.net telescope review + +A review of every telescope on the iTelescope.net network, grouped by observatory. +Compiled 2026-07-17 from the network's own sources: + +- Support article (observatory summaries, minimum elevations): + https://support.itelescope.net/support/solutions/articles/247371 +- Maintained specs Google Sheet (snapshotted in [data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)): + https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jZWkkjewOuyNC9YzQ8y2d0pO1e4T7EBeysmQMPBVSOk/ +- The launchpad (https://go.itelescope.net/) is login-only and holds no public specs. + +Note on coverage: the Google Sheet is the maintained source and is what this review +follows. The older support article additionally lists T9, T19, T31 and T69, which no +longer appear in the sheet (retired or rebuilt); T74 appears in the sheet with no +specs, presumably in commissioning. + +## The network at a glance + +| Observatory | MPC code | Hemisphere | Telescopes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Utah Desert Remote Observatory, USA | U94 | North | T2, T5, T11, T14, T20, T21, T25, T26, T68 | +| Sierra Remote Observatory, California, USA | U69 | North | T24 | +| Siding Spring Observatory, Australia | Q62 | South | T8, T17, T30, T32, T33, T59 | +| Deep Sky Chile | X07 | South | T70, T71, T72, T73, T74, T75 | +| AstroCamp Observatory, Spain | I89 | North | T18 | +| Entre Encinas y Estrellas (e-EyE), Spain | (none listed) | North | T80 | + +Two systems are free to use (30 minutes per day): **T68** (Utah, fast colour +widefield) and **T33** (Siding Spring, narrow deep field). + +--- + +## Utah Desert Remote Observatory (MPC U94) + +Dark Great Basin desert site; the largest cluster on the network and the main +northern-hemisphere hub. + +### T2: Takahashi TOA-150 + QHY268C (one-shot colour) + +- 150 mm f/7.3 apochromatic refractor, 1105 mm focal length +- QHY268C colour CMOS (Sony IMX571, APS-C), 0.69"/px, 72.6 x 48.6 arcmin +- Paramount GTS, off-axis guided, no filters; minimum elevation 25 degrees + +**Review:** the premium one-shot-colour option. Superb refractor optics and a modern +back-illuminated sensor at a well-sampled 0.69"/px make it the easiest route to a +finished colour image of medium-sized targets (galaxy groups, planetary nebulae, +globulars) with no filter runs to plan. No narrowband, so emission nebulae under +moonlight are off the menu. Files are large (26 MP 16-bit FITS). + +### T5: Takahashi Epsilon 250 + SBIG ST-10XME + +- 250 mm f/3.4 hyperbolic flat-field astrograph, 850 mm focal length +- ST-10XME CCD (NABG), 1.66"/px, 60.6 x 40.8 arcmin +- Paramount PME, external guiding; RGB, Ha/SII/OIII, and Johnson-Cousins B, V, I + +**Review:** a fast classic. The f/3.4 Epsilon gathers light quickly for its class and +the photometric filter set makes it one of the few scopes that does both pretty +pictures and science. The small, old NABG CCD is the weak point: only 3.2 MP, and +bright stars bloom on long exposures, so keep subs short around bright fields. + +### T11: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ProLine PL11002M + +- 510 mm (20") f/4.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 2280 mm +- PL11002M CCD (full frame), 0.81"/px, 54.3 x 36.2 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR; LRGB, 3 nm narrowband, and U, B, V, R, I; minimum elevation 20 degrees + +**Review:** big aperture at a fast reduced focal ratio with a generous field: a strong +general-purpose deep-space scope for nebulae and larger galaxies, plus full UBVRI for +photometry. The sensor's 51% peak QE is dated, so it needs more integration time than +the CMOS scopes for the same depth, and it is noted as sensitive to stray-light +gradients near full moon. + +### T14: Takahashi FSQ-106 Fluorite + SBIG STX-16803 + +- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length +- STX-16803 CCD, 3.5"/px, 238.8 x 238.8 arcmin (4 x 4 degrees) +- Paramount ME, unguided; LRGB, 5 nm Ha/SII/OIII, V; minimum elevation 25 degrees + +**Review:** the classic mono widefield workhorse. Four square degrees on the square +16803 sensor suits large nebula complexes (North America, Veil, Rho Ophiuchi) and +mosaics. CCD rather than CMOS, so integration is slower than modern rivals, and +dithering is recommended. Pick it for framed mono narrowband over T20's colour. + +### T20: Takahashi FSQ-106ED + ZWO ASI2400C (one-shot colour) + +- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length +- ASI2400C colour CMOS (Sony IMX410, full frame, 14-bit), 2.31"/px, 233.7 x 155.8 arcmin +- Paramount ME, unguided; Optolong L-Pro and L-Ultimate (3 nm dual-band), Astrodon narrowband +- Field rotated 90 degrees relative to T14 for alternative framing + +**Review:** the colour twin of T14 with a modern full-frame CMOS. The L-Ultimate +dual-band filter is the clever bit: one-shot-colour narrowband on emission nebulae, +even with the moon up. Sensor is 14-bit, so dynamic range trails the mono 16-bit +scopes. The best low-effort widefield choice on the network. + +### T21: Planewave CDK17 + FLI PL6303E + +- 431 mm (17") f/4.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 1940 mm +- PL6303E CCD (NABG), 0.96"/px, 49.2 x 32.8 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, and UBVRI; minimum elevation 20 degrees + +**Review:** billed as a combined photometry and imaging system, and that is its niche: +the sensitive NABG chip plus a full Johnson-Cousins set makes it a proper science +scope. The same NABG sensitivity means blooming on bright subjects, so it rewards +careful target and exposure choice rather than casual use. + +### T25: Planewave CDK20 + Player One Zeus 455M PRO + +- 508 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham at native focal length, 3454 mm +- Zeus 455M mono CMOS (Sony IMX455, full frame), 0.23"/px, 36.2 x 24.2 arcmin, 61 MP +- Planewave L-500; Astrodon LRGB and 3 nm narrowband + +**Review:** the resolution monster. At 0.23"/px it is oversampled for almost any +seeing, which means you can bin or drizzle as you please and still resolve fine +structure in small galaxies and planetary nebulae. The cost is enormous files (61 MP +per sub) and a narrow field. Choose it when the target is small and detail is the +point. + +### T26: Planewave Delta Rho 500 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro + +- 508 mm (20") f/3.0 corrected astrograph, 1537 mm focal length +- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (IMX455, full frame, Bin2 only), 1.01"/px, 80.4 x 54.0 arcmin +- Planewave L-550 on equatorial wedge; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband +- Recommended subs: LRGB 30-180 s, narrowband 180-300 s (900 s available) + +**Review:** arguably the best imaging system on the network: half a metre of aperture +at f/3.0 with a modern 91% QE sensor is a light bucket that reaches faint extended +nebulosity (integrated flux nebulae, faint Ha shells) in a fraction of the usual +integration time, over a 1.3-degree field. Bin2-only is a software limitation, not an +optical one, and barely matters at this image scale. + +### T68: Celestron RASA 11 + ZWO ASI2600C (free, one-shot colour) + +- 279 mm (11") f/2.2 Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt astrograph, 620 mm focal length +- ASI2600C colour CMOS (IMX571, APS-C), 1.25"/px, 130.2 x 87.0 arcmin +- Paramount ME II, mount-guided, no filters; 30 minutes free per day + +**Review:** the free taster scope, and genuinely good: f/2.2 means even short free +sessions produce satisfying colour images of bright nebulae and comets over a +2-degree field. No filters and modest QE cap its ceiling. Ideal for trying the +network, time-lapse of transients, or quick-look framing before booking a paid scope. + +--- + +## Sierra Remote Observatory, California (MPC U69) + +High Sierra site with steady seeing; hosts the network's largest northern aperture. + +### T24: Planewave CDK24 + Player One Zeus 455M PRO + +- 610 mm (24") f/6.5 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3962 mm focal length +- Zeus 455M mono CMOS, 0.395"/px (Bin2), 31.6 x 21.1 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR, external guiding beyond 300 s; Astrodon LRGB, 3 nm narrowband, V and Ic +- Match subs to calibration set (60/120/180/300/600/900 s); minimum elevation 25 degrees + +**Review:** the northern flagship. The biggest glass in the northern half of the +network on a steady-seeing site, with a modern high-QE sensor: first choice for small +galaxies, quasar fields and faint photometry (V and Ic fitted). The operational notes +(RBI flush, fixed exposure ladder, dithering) show it is run seriously for calibrated +science data. Narrow field, so not for showpiece nebulae. + +--- + +## Siding Spring Observatory, Australia (MPC Q62) + +The network's southern-hemisphere anchor, on the AAO site. The only access most users +have to Magellanic Cloud and far-southern targets at serious aperture. Roof geometry +limits northern views (horizon limits 35-75 degrees depending on scope). + +### T8: Takahashi FSQ-106ED + FLI Microline 16803 + +- 106 mm f/5.0 Petzval refractor, 530 mm focal length +- ML16803 CCD, 3.5"/px, 238.8 x 238.8 arcmin (4 x 4 degrees) +- Paramount PME, external guiding; Astrodon LRGB, EXO, narrowband, NIR luminance +- North horizon limit 75 degrees; dithering recommended (occasional dark columns) + +**Review:** the southern widefield essential: four square degrees on the LMC, SMC, +Eta Carinae or the Gum Nebula is something no northern scope can offer. Same era of +CCD as T14 with the same patience requirement, and its known dark-column quirk makes +dithering effectively mandatory. Book it for large southern showpieces. + +### T17: Planewave CDK17 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro + +- 432 mm (17") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2939 mm focal length +- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 0.53"/px, 42.4 x 28.3 arcmin +- Paramount PME, unguided; Astrodon LRGB and 5 nm narrowband; minimum elevation 35 degrees + +**Review:** a modern deep-field machine pointed at the southern sky: 91% QE at half an +arcsecond per pixel is a potent combination for southern galaxies (NGC 1365, Centaurus +A) and planetary nebulae. The tight 35-degree elevation floor means plan targets near +culmination. + +### T30: Planewave CDK20 + FLI PL6303E + +- 508 mm (20") f/4.4 corrected Dall-Kirkham with 0.66x reducer, 2262 mm +- PL6303E CCD (NABG), 0.81"/px, 41.6 x 27.8 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, and full Johnson-Cousins UBVRcIc + +**Review:** the southern science scope: big aperture, fast reduced optics and the +full photometric filter set. Same NABG blooming caveat as its northern siblings, and +the CCD needs more integration than T17's CMOS for imaging, so treat it as +photometry-first, imaging-second. + +### T32: Planewave CDK17 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro + +- 431 mm (17") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2912 mm focal length +- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 0.53"/px, 42.4 x 28.3 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, plus V and Ic; minimum elevation 30 degrees + +**Review:** effectively T17's twin with a slightly friendlier elevation limit and V/Ic +photometric filters added. If T17 is booked, this is the same capability; if you need +magnitudes as well as pictures, prefer T32 of the pair. + +### T33: 12.5" RCOS Ritchey-Chretien + Apogee Alta U16 (free) + +- 320 mm (12.5") f/9.0 Ritchey-Chretien, 2885 mm focal length +- Alta U16 CCD (NABG), 0.54"/px, 37 x 37 arcmin +- Paramount ME, external guiding; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband +- 30 minutes free per day; north horizon limit 45 degrees +- Recommended: LRGB 300 s; narrowband 300 s Bin2 or 600 s Bin1 on calm nights + +**Review:** the free southern scope, and a much more serious instrument than "free" +suggests: a proper RC with narrowband filters at 0.54"/px. The NABG CCD blooms on +bright stars and f/9 is slow, so free 30-minute slots are best spent on compact, +reasonably bright targets, or accumulated across nights. + +### T59: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ProLine 16803 + +- 510 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3411 mm focal length +- ProLine 16803 CCD, 0.54"/px, 37.2 x 37.2 arcmin +- Ascension 200HR; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, Ic and Z; capable of 15-minute subs + +**Review:** deep and square: the 16803's square field at half-arcsecond sampling with +an ABG chip rated for very long exposures. The scope to book for faint southern +targets that need 900-second narrowband subs without blooming worries. QE is dated +(60%), so it trades sensor efficiency for exposure headroom. + +--- + +## Deep Sky Chile (MPC X07) + +Newest site, Atacama-quality southern skies; a modern all-CMOS lineup built around +astrophotography. + +### T70: Samyang 135 mm f/3.5 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro + +- 65 mm camera lens at f/3.5, 129 mm focal length +- ASI2600MM mono CMOS (IMX571, APS-C), 4.51"/px, 469.8 x 355.2 arcmin (7.8 x 5.9 degrees) +- Paramount ME, guided; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband; minimum elevation 0 degrees + +**Review:** an eight-degree mono narrowband field under Atacama skies, down to the +horizon. Made for constellation-scale mosaics, the Gum Nebula, and the Milky Way core. +It is a camera lens, so expect corner coma and halos on bright stars; that is the +stated trade for the field of view. + +### T71: Takahashi Epsilon 180ED + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro + +- 180 mm f/2.8 hyperbolic Newtonian astrograph, 500 mm focal length +- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 1.55"/px, 161.4 x 108.0 arcmin +- Paramount MyT, guided; Astrodon LRGB and 5 nm narrowband +- Electronic shutter: no user darks; calibrated data supplied for standard sub lengths + +**Review:** the best fast-widefield system on the network: f/2.8 optics, a modern +sensor and Chilean skies. A 2.7 x 1.8 degree field at 1.55"/px suits nearly every +showpiece southern nebula. Subs are constrained to the standard calibration ladder +(10-600 s) since you cannot take your own darks, and files are large (101 MiB). + +### T72: Planewave CDK20 + FLI ML-16200 + +- 510 mm (20") f/6.8 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 3411 mm focal length +- ML-16200 CCD, 0.359"/px, 26.9 x 21.5 arcmin +- Planewave L-500; LRGB, narrowband, and U, B, V, R, I +- Precision-scaled raw calibration frames published at data.itelescope.net (0-900 s) + +**Review:** the Chilean science workhorse: full UBVRI photometry, very fine sampling, +and a published high-precision calibration pipeline aimed squarely at photometric +work. The 39Ke full well is modest, so watch saturation on bright comparison stars. +For pretty pictures the CMOS scopes on site are faster; for southern photometry this +is the one. + +### T73: Planewave CDK14 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro + +- 356 mm (14") f/7.2 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 2563 mm focal length +- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 0.31"/px, 31.8 x 21.0 arcmin +- Paramount ME II, guided; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband + +**Review:** a fine-detail southern imager: 0.31"/px oversampling with a near-zero +dark current sensor (darks essentially redundant) and tight 3 nm Chroma narrowband. +The pick for small southern galaxies and planetaries when T25-style resolution is +wanted below the celestial equator. Short 240 s max recommended subs keep runs simple. + +### T74: (in commissioning) + +Listed in the network sheet with no published specs yet. + +### T75: ASA N250 + ZWO ASI6200MM Pro + +- 250 mm f/3.8 Newtonian astrograph, 950 mm focal length +- ASI6200MM mono CMOS (Bin2 only), 1.72"/px, 137.4 x 91.8 arcmin +- Paramount MyT, guided; Chroma LRGB and 3 nm narrowband + +**Review:** the middle option at Deep Sky Chile: faster and wider than the CDKs, +deeper than the Epsilon. A 2.3 x 1.5 degree field at f/3.8 with 91% QE makes quick +work of medium-large southern nebulae. Bin2-only sampling is coarse but well matched +to the focal length. + +--- + +## AstroCamp Observatory, Spain (MPC I89) + +High-altitude site in the Spanish mountains; fills the European longitude gap so +northern targets can be followed when America is in daylight. + +### T18: Planewave CDK12 + QHY600M + +- 318 mm (12.5") f/5.3 corrected Dall-Kirkham, 1683 mm focal length +- QHY600M mono CMOS (IMX455, full frame, Bin2 only), 0.92"/px, 73.6 x 49.1 arcmin +- Paramount PME, externally guided; Astrodon LRGB, 5 nm narrowband, photometric V and Ic +- Minimum elevation 40 degrees + +**Review:** a well-balanced all-rounder: enough aperture for galaxies, a wide enough +field (1.2 degrees) for most nebulae, modern sensor, and V/Ic for photometry. Its real +value is longitude coverage for time-critical work (exoplanet transits, variable +stars, GRB follow-up) from Europe. The 40-degree elevation floor is the strictest on +the network, so target selection matters. + +--- + +## Entre Encinas y Estrellas (e-EyE), Spain + +Hosting site in Extremadura; currently one iTelescope system. + +### T80: Samyang 135 mm f/3.5 + ZWO ASI2600MM Pro + +- 65 mm camera lens at f/3.5, 129 mm focal length +- ASI2600MM mono CMOS, 5.98"/px, 622.2 x 415.8 arcmin (10.4 x 6.9 degrees) +- Paramount MyT, guided; Astrodon LRGB and narrowband + +**Review:** T70's northern sibling: a ten-degree mono field for constellation-scale +imaging (whole of Orion's belt and sword in one frame, big Ha mosaics of Cygnus). +Same camera-lens caveats on corner stars. Between this and T70 the entire sky is +covered at super-wide field. + +--- + +## Choosing a telescope + +| Use case | First choice | Alternatives | +|---|---|---| +| Widefield narrowband, north | T14 (mono), T20 (colour dual-band) | T68 (free colour) | +| Widefield narrowband, south | T71 | T8, T75 | +| Constellation-scale mosaics | T80 (north), T70 (south) | | +| Faint extended nebulosity | T26 | T75, T71 | +| Small galaxies / fine detail, north | T24 | T25 | +| Small galaxies / fine detail, south | T73 | T17, T32, T59 | +| Photometry / science, north | T21, T24 | T5, T11, T18 | +| Photometry / science, south | T72 | T30, T32 | +| One-shot colour, minimum effort | T20 | T2, T68 | +| Long (15 min) narrowband subs, south | T59 | | +| European longitude / transit timing | T18 | | +| Free / trying the network | T68 (north), T33 (south) | | + +## General observations + +- The network is mid-migration from legacy CCDs (16803, PL6303E, ST-10XME) to modern + back-illuminated CMOS (IMX455, IMX571): the CMOS scopes reach the same depth in + roughly half the integration time thanks to 85-91% peak QE, and several of the CCD + systems (NABG chips especially) carry blooming caveats the CMOS ones do not. +- Several CMOS systems are Bin2-only due to software limitations (T17, T18, T26, T32, + T75). At their focal lengths this costs little real resolution. +- Minimum elevation limits vary widely (0 degrees at T70 up to 40 degrees at T18) and + are a real planning constraint, especially at Siding Spring where the roof blocks + much of the northern sky. +- Calibration is handled network-side on several scopes (T71's electronic shutter + disallows user darks; T72 publishes precision-scaled calibration frames; T24 wants + subs matched to its calibration ladder). Check the per-scope notes before planning + exposures. diff --git a/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv b/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5243170 --- /dev/null +++ b/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv @@ -0,0 +1,78 @@ +Telescope,Platform,Aperture (in),Aperature (mm),Focal Length (mm),F-Ratio,Optical Tube Assembly,Optical Design,Camera,Sensor Type,CMOS Sensor Model,Sensor Size / Format (mm),"Camera Angle +(""Up"" = Deg. East of N)",FOV X (arcmins),FOV Y (arcmins),Pixel Size (µm),Resolution (arcsec / pixel),Sensor Megapixels,Array X,Array Y,Peak QE,Full Well,N/ABG,Recommended Max Exposure (seconds),Guiding,Mount,Filters,Notes,"Additional System Specifications +(e.g. horizon limits, special notes)" +,Utah Desert Remote Observatory (MPC U94),,,,,,,,Note: Sensors generally have 16-bit ADCs unless other values are provided,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T2,One Shot Color,5.9,150,1105.1,f/7.3,Takahashi TOA-150,Apochromatic Refractor,QHY268C,"Color CMOS +(RGGB Bayer)",Sony IMX571,"23.5 x 15.7 +(APS-C)",178.683º,72.6,48.6,3.76,"0.69""",26.4,6280,4210,90%,51Ke,—,300,MOAG with Loadstar SX2,Paramount GTS,None,"Large (26 MP, 16-bit) FITS files",Telescope System Information and Specs +T5,Medium Deep Space,9.8,250,850,f/3.4,Takahashi Epsilon 250,Hyperbolic Flat-Field,SBIG ST-10XME,CCD,—,14.9 x 10.0,177º,60.6,40.8,6.8,"1.66""",3.2,2184,1472,85%,100Ke,NABG,300,External Guiding,Paramount PME,"Red Green Blue, Ha, SII, OIII, Clear and Johnson's Cousin's Photometric B,V, and I filters.",Non Anti Bloom Gate (NABG) CCD. Bright stars will bloom or bleed in long exposures. Keep your exposures short if very bright stars are in your target FoV.,Telescope System Information and Specs +T11,Deep Space,20.1,510,"2280 +(0.66 reducer)",f/4.5,Planewave CDK20,Corrected Dall-Kirkham,FLI ProLine PL11002M,CCD,—,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",186.9º,54.3,36.2,9,"0.81""",10.7,4008,2672,51%,60Ke,ABG,600,Active Guiding Disabled,Planewave Ascension 200HR,"AstroDon - Luminance, Red, Green, Blue. 3nm Ha3_50R, Sii3_50R, Oiii_50R. U, B, V, R, I",Optics more sensitive to stray light gradients (e.g. during full moon),Telescope System Information and Specs +T14,Wide Field,4.2,106,530,f/5.0,Takahashi FSQ Fluorite,Petzval Apochromatic Refractor,SBIG STX-16803,CCD,—,36.8 x 36.8,90º,238.8,238.8,9,"3.5""",16.8,4096,4096,60%,100Ke,ABG,600,Unguided,Paramount ME,"LRGB, Ha (5nm), SII(5nm), OIII(5nm), V Filters",Dithering recommended,Telescope System Information and Specs +T20,Wide Field,4.2,106,530,f/5.0,Takahashi FSQ-ED,Petzval Apochromatic Refractor,ZWO ASI2400C,"Color CMOS +(14-bit ADC) +(RGGB Bayer)",Sony IMX410,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",358.4º,233.7,155.8,5.94,"2.31""",24.5,6072,4042,>80%,50Ke,ABG,300,Unguided,Paramount ME,"Optolong Lpro, Optolong LUltimate (Ha/OIII 3nm dual band), Astrodon Ha (3nm), SII (3nm) & OIII (5nm)",FoV Rotated 90° relative to T14 for different framing opportunities.,Telescope System Information and Specs +T21,Deep Space,17.0,431,"1940 +(0.66 reducer)",f/4.5,Planewave CDK17,Corrected Dall-Kirkham,FLI-PL6303E,CCD,—,27.6 x 18.4,359º,49.2,32.8,9,"0.96""",6.3,3072,2048,68%,100Ke,NABG,600,Active Guiding Disabled,Planewave Ascension 200HR,"Astrodon LRGB 50mm unmounted, Astrodon Ha, SII, OIII, 5nm, 50 mm unmounted, Astrodon UBVRI John/Cousins",Photometry and Imaging system. Sensitive NABG CCD - susceptible to blooming artifacts from bright subjects,Telescope System Information and Specs +T25,Deep Space,20.0,508,3454,f/6.8,Planewave CDK20,Corrected Dall-Kirkham,Player One Zeus 455M PRO,Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",251.9º,36.2,24.2,3.76,"0.23""",61.2,9576,6388,91%,71.6Ke,—,600,None,Planewave L-500,"Astrodon LRGB Gen2 I-Series Tru-Balance filters, Astrodon 3nm SII,Ha,OIII",Produces very large files,Telescope System Information and Specs +T26,Deep Space,20.0,508,1537,f/3.0,Planewave Delta Rho 500,Advanced Corrected Cassegrain Focus,ASI6200MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",181º,80.4,54,7.52 (Bin2),"1.01""",15.3,4788,3194,91%,51.4Ke,—,300,None,Planewave L-550 on Equatorial Wedge,"Chroma Filters: +Wideband: Luminance, Red, Green & Blue +Narrowband: SII, Ha & OIII with a 3nm optimise passband","Bin2 only due to current software limitations +Recommended Exposures: LRGB: 30s-180s. +Narrowband: 180s-300s. 900s Available",Telescope System Information and Specs +T68,"One Shot Color +(30 min free / day)",11.0,279,620,f/2.2,"Celestron RASA 11""",Rowe Ackerman Schmidt Astrograph,ZWO ASI2600 Color,"Color CMOS +(RGGB Bayer)",Sony IMX571,"23.6 x 15.6 +(APS-C)",277º,130.2,87,3.76,"1.25""",26.1,6248,4176,>50%,—,—,240,Via Mount,Paramount ME II,None,"Full-Time Free Telescope System +Large (26 MP, 16-bit) FITS files",Telescope System Information and Specs +,Sierra Remote Observatory (MPC U69),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T24,Deep Space,24.0,610,3962,f/6.5,Planewave CDK24,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,Player One Zeus 455M PRO,Mono CMOS,—,36 x 24,90.7º,31.6,21.1,7.52 (Bin2),"0.395""",15.3,4788,3194,91%,71.6Ke,—,600,External Guiding (300s+),Planewave Ascension 200HR,"Astrodon LRGB2-E50S +Astrodon HA3_50S, OIII3_50S, SII3_50S.Astrodon V, I (V*-50S, Ic*-50S)","Best results on Bin1. Dithering highly recommended. Uses RBI Flush to prevent ghosting. Best to use 60, 120, 180, 300, 600 and 900s exposures to match with calibraiton data.",Telescope System Information and Specs +,"Siding Springs Observatory, Australia (MPC Q62)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T8,Wide Field,4.2,106,530,f/5.0,Takahashi FSQ ED,Petzval Apochromatic Refractor,FLI Microline 16803,CCD,—,36.8 x 36.8,358º,238.8,238.8,9,"3.5""",16.8,4096,4096,60%,100Ke,ABG,600,External ,Paramount PME,"AstroDon Series 2 +Luminance, Red, Green, Blue, EXO, Ha, SII, OIII, NIR Luminance",Northern view is restricted by observatory roof. N Horizon limit is 75°. Dithering is recommended because T8's CCD sometimes produces dark columns. ,Telescope System Information and Specs +T17,Deep Field Astrophotography,17.0,432,2939,f/6.8,Planewave CDK17,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,ASI6200MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",84.2º,42.4,28.3,7.52 (Bin2),"0.531""",15.3,4788,3194,91% (475nm),51.4Ke,—,240,Unguided,Paramount PME,"Astrodon: Luminance, Clear +Astrodon: Red-E. Green-E. Blue-E +Astrodon: Ha 5nm, 5nm OIII, 5nm, SII","NEW CMOS Camera for astrophotography +Bin2 only due to software limitations",Telescope System Information and Specs +T30,Deep Space,20.0,508,"2262 +(0.66 reducer)",f/4.4,Planewave CDK20,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,FLI-PL6303E,CCD,—,27.6 x 18.4,270º,41.6,27.8,9,"0.81""",6.3,3072,2048,68%,100Ke,NABG,300,Active Guiding Disabled,Planewave Ascension 200HR,"AstroDon Tru-Balance Gen 2 E series Luminance, Red, Green, Blue, 5nm Ha, 5nm SII, 5nm OIII, and AstroDon Johnson/Cousins UvBVRcIc",Very sensitive NABG CCD - susceptible to blooming artifacts from bright subjects,Telescope System Information and Specs +T32,Wide Deep Field,17.0,431,2912,f/6.8,Planewave CDK17,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,ASI6200MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",90º,42.4,28.3,7.52 (Bin2),"0.53""",15.3,4788,3194,91% (475nm),51.4Ke,—,300,Active Guiding Disabled,Planewave Ascension 200HR,"Astrodon E-Series Luminance Red, Green, Blue +Astrodon 5nm Ha, SII, OIII +Astrodon Johnson/Couisins V, Ic","NEW CMOS Camera for astrophotography +Bin2 only due to software limitations",Telescope System Information and Specs +T33,"Narrow Deep Field +(30 min free / day)",12.6,320,2885,f/9.0,"Star Instruments 12.5"" RCOS",Ritchey-Chrétien - Closed Carbon Tube,Apogee Alta U16,CCD,—,36.8 x 36.8,359º,37,37,9,"0.54""",16.8,4096,4096,69%,100Ke,NABG,300,External Guiding,Paramount ME,"Astrodon Series II: Luminance, Red, Green, Blue +Astrodon Ha (5nm), SII, OIII (3nm) +","Full-Time Free Telescope System +North Horizon limit is 45° +Rec. exposures: LRGB at 300s. Narrowband at 300s Bin2, or 600s Bin1 on calm nights. ",Telescope System Information and Specs +T59,Wide Deep Field,20.1,510,3411,f/6.8,Planewave CDK20,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,FLI Proline 16803,CCD,—,36.8 x 36.8,90º,37.2,37.2,9,"0.54""",16.8,4096,4096,60%,> 100X Saturation Exposure,ABG,900,Active Guiding Disabled,Planewave Ascension 200HR,"Astrodon E-Series Luminance Red, Green, Blue +Astrodon 5nm Ha, SII, OIII +Astrodon Johnson/Couisins, IcZ",Capable of very long (15 min) exposures,Telescope System Information and Specs +,Deep Sky Chile (MPC X07),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T70,Super Wide Field,2.6,65,129,f/3.5,Samyang 135 mm @ f/3.5,Camera Lens,ASI2600MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX571,"23.5 x 15.7 +(APS-C)",314º,469.8,355.2,3.76,"4.51""",26.1,6248,4176,60%,50Ke,—,300,ZWO 30 F/4 guidescope with Loadstar SX2,Paramount ME,"Astrodon Gen 2 E-Series LRGB, Ha, OIII, SII","Note: Camera lens. Some residual coma occurs in the corners, and bright stars develop halos. This is normal and expected on this system. ",Telescope System Information and Specs +T71,Wide Field Astrophotography,7.1,180,500,f/2.8,Takahashi Epsilon 180ED,Hyperbolic Corrected Newtonian Astrograph,ASI2600MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX571,"23.5 x 15.7 +(APS-C)",342.5º,161.4,108,3.76,"1.55""",26.1,6248,4176,60%,50Ke,—,600,QHY miniguidescope f4.3 with Loadstar Pro,Paramount MyT,"Astrodon Gen 2 I-Series LRGB, Ha (5nm), OIII (5nm), SII (5nm)","Electronic shutter. No user dark frames can be taken. Calibrated data available for 10, 30, 60, 120 180, 300, 600s. + +Generates very large (26 MP, 101 MiB) FITS files",Telescope System Information and Specs +T72,Deep Space,20.1,510,3411,F/6.8,Planewave CDK20,Corrected Dall-Kirkham,FLI ML-16200,CCD,—,27 x 21.6,176º,26.93,21.53,6,"0.359""",16.2,4500,3600,60%,39Ke,ABG,600,None,PlaneWave L-500,"L,R,G,B,SII,Ha,OIII,U,V,B,R,I filters",Raw calibration frames can be found at data.itelescope.net. (Bias Bin1 & Bin2 and Darks 900s Bin1 & 2 are scaled with high precision for photometry calibrated image data from 0 to 900 seconds).,Telescope System Information and Specs +T73,Deep Field Astrophotography,14.0,356,2563,f/7.2,Planewave CDK14,Corrected Dall-Kirkham,ASI2600MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX571,"23.5 x 15.7 +(APS-C)",179.6º,31.8,21,3.76,"0.31""",26.1,6248,4176,60%,50Ke,—,240,WO Guide Star 61 f5.9 guide scope with Starlight Xpress Ultrastar Pro (mono) guide camera,Paramount MEII,"Chroma LRGB, Chroma 3nm Ha, OIII, SII",(the ASI2600MM has an extremely low dark current making darks virtually redundant),Telescope System Information and Specs +T74,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T75,Medium Deep Space,9.8,250,950,f/3.8,ASA N250,Newtownian Astrograph,ASI6200MM Pro (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",88.3º,137.4,91.8,7.52 (Bin2),"1.722""",15.3,4788,3194,91%,50Ke,—,600,ZWO 30 F/4 guide scope with ASI290MM mini,Paramount MyT,"Chroma LRGB, Chroma 3nm Ha, OIII, SII",Bin2 only due to current software limitations.,Telescope System Information and Specs +,"AstroCamp Observatory, Spain (MPC I89)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T18,Medium Deep Space,12.5,318,1683,f/5.3,Planewave CDK12,Corrected Dall-Kirkham ,QHY600M-PH-US Mono,Mono CMOS,Sony IMX455,"36 x 24 +(Full Format)",150º,73.6,49.1,7.52 (Bin2),"0.92"" (Bin2)",15.3,4788,3194,87%,> 38Ke,—,300,External via Lodestar SX and 300mm guidescope,Paramount PME,"Astrodon Series E LRGB. Astrodon 5nm Ha, SII, OIII. Photometric V (Custom Scientific Bessell) and Ic (Astrodon John/Cousins)","Bin2 only due to current software limitations. +SONY Full Frame BSI CMOS Sensor IMX455",Telescope System Information and Specs +,"Entre Encinas y Estrellas, Spain",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, +T80,Super Wide Field,2.6,65,129,f/3.5,Samyang 135 mm @ f/3.5,Camera Lens,ASI2600MM Pro P25 (mono),Mono CMOS,Sony IMX571,"23.5 x 15.7 +(APS-C)",268º,622.2,415.8,3.76,"5.98""",26.1,6248,4176,60%,50Ke,—,300,ZWO 30 F/4 guidescope with Loadstar SX2 ,Paramount MyT,"Astrodon Gen 2 E-Series LRGB, Ha, OIII, SII",Note: Camera lens. Some residual coma occurs in the corners,Telescope System Information and Specs \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/state/ARCHITECTURE.md b/state/ARCHITECTURE.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6de98f7 --- /dev/null +++ b/state/ARCHITECTURE.md @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +# Architecture + +> How the system is built and why. Update this when the structure changes; a change is +> not finished until this reflects it. + +A documentation-only repo; there is no code. + +- `TELESCOPES.md`: the deliverable. Per-observatory sections, one entry per telescope + (spec bullets then a review paragraph), a "choosing a telescope" table, and general + observations. Compiled from the sources below, dated in its header. +- `data/itelescope-telescopes.csv`: verbatim CSV export of iTelescope's maintained + specs Google Sheet. Treated as the source of truth for numbers; re-exported to + refresh (see state/NOTES.md). +- `state/`: Default Workflow project memory. +- `CLAUDE.md` + `docs/`: the Default Workflow itself, copied from the + Default-Workflow repo so the project is self-contained. diff --git a/state/DECISIONS.md b/state/DECISIONS.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a461b78 --- /dev/null +++ b/state/DECISIONS.md @@ -0,0 +1,31 @@ +# Decisions + +> A dated, append only log of decisions and their rationale. Newest at the top. Never +> rewrite past entries; if a decision is reversed, add a new entry that says so. + +## 2026-07-17: follow the Google Sheet, not the support article + +The support article (https://support.itelescope.net/support/solutions/articles/247371) +and the maintained Google Sheet +(https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jZWkkjewOuyNC9YzQ8y2d0pO1e4T7EBeysmQMPBVSOk/) +disagree: the article lists T9, T19, T31, T69, which the sheet omits; the sheet has +T25, T26, T59, T71-T75, T80, which the article lacks. The article itself points to +the sheet as the current source, so the review follows the sheet and notes the +discrepancy. The sheet CSV export is snapshotted in data/ so the review's numbers +remain reproducible even if the sheet changes. + +## 2026-07-17: single review document, not per-telescope files + +23 active scopes each need only a spec block and a short assessment; one TELESCOPES.md +grouped by observatory reads better and is easier to keep current than 23 stub files. +Revisit if per-scope content grows (photos, session logs). + +## 2026-07-17: no launchpad scraping + +https://go.itelescope.net/ is an authenticated app shell with no public data. All +content comes from public support pages and the public sheet; nothing in this repo +requires iTelescope credentials. + +Per-telescope detail pages, if ever needed: +support.itelescope.net/support/solutions/articles/231901-231920 (older scopes), +245471 (T68), 251171 (T70), 251556 (T69), 251589 (T19). diff --git a/state/NOTES.md b/state/NOTES.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5d83f64 --- /dev/null +++ b/state/NOTES.md @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +# Notes + +> Working notes, gotchas, environment quirks, and dead ends to avoid. Free form. The +> point is to save a future session from rediscovering something the hard way. + +- Refresh the specs snapshot with: + `curl -sL "https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jZWkkjewOuyNC9YzQ8y2d0pO1e4T7EBeysmQMPBVSOk/export?format=csv" -o data/itelescope-telescopes.csv` +- The CSV has multi-line cells (quoted); line count is not row count. Telescope rows + start `T,`; observatory header rows have an empty first column. +- Sensors are 16-bit ADC unless noted (T20's ASI2400C is 14-bit). +- Free scopes (30 min/day): T68 (Utah), T33 (Siding Spring). +- Minimum elevation limits come from the support article, not the sheet. diff --git a/state/PR_TEMPLATE.md b/state/PR_TEMPLATE.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..430f1a9 --- /dev/null +++ b/state/PR_TEMPLATE.md @@ -0,0 +1,35 @@ +# + +> Fill this in when opening the PR. It is the summary a later documentation session +> reads to write the docs, so make it complete and self contained. + +## Feature + + + +## What was achieved + + + +## How to verify + + + +## Tools used + + + +## How it works + + + +## State updated + +- [ ] `state/TODO.md` +- [ ] `state/DECISIONS.md` (if a decision was made) +- [ ] `state/ARCHITECTURE.md` (if the structure changed) + +## Follow ups + + diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c0fe66a --- /dev/null +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -0,0 +1,25 @@ +# TODO + +> The current state of play. Keep it honest and current; this is what the next session +> reads to know what to do. Move items between sections as they progress. + +## Done + +- 2026-07-17: repo created on git.discworld.casa, Default Workflow scaffold copied in. +- 2026-07-17: specs sheet snapshotted to data/itelescope-telescopes.csv (24 scopes). +- 2026-07-17: TELESCOPES.md written: per-scope reviews for all 23 active telescopes + plus a choosing guide (T74 noted as in commissioning, no specs published). + +## In progress + +- (nothing) + +## Pending + +- Fill in T74 when iTelescope publishes its specs. +- Reconcile the retired scopes (T9, T19, T31, T69): the support article still lists + them but the maintained sheet does not; confirm status and note it. +- Optional: per-telescope detail pages on support.itelescope.net (links in + DECISIONS.md) hold photos and operational history if deeper entries are ever wanted. +- Periodic refresh: re-export the Google Sheet and diff against data/ to catch new or + changed systems. From 6993f35cfc5d515156713e11a99c7d97dd4db74e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 20:58:45 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 03/20] Southern targets guide: objects invisible from the UK MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Adds TARGETS.md, a target guide for the southern iTelescope sites (Siding Spring Q62, Deep Sky Chile X07) built around UK visibility: from lat 51.5°N anything below dec -38° never rises and dec -25° to -38° culminates under ~15° altitude. Targets are tiered accordingly (never visible vs hopeless), grouped by region (Magellanic Clouds, Carina/Crux, Centaurus, Ara/Scorpius tail, far-southern galaxies, SNR/planetaries), and each is matched to the best scope from TELESCOPES.md with the field-of-view reasoning in the notes. Includes a seasonal booking calendar (evening sky by quarter from the southern sites, with the Q62 30-35° minimum-elevation caveat), a suggested first campaign for July-August (free T33 globulars, T71 narrowband on Ara/ Scorpius, T73 on NGC 6744, then T8 on the Magellanic Clouds in Oct-Nov), and cost-shape notes (fast scopes for nebulae, dark-of-moon for LRGB). README links the new guide; state/TODO.md records the addition. --- README.md | 2 + TARGETS.md | 125 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ state/TODO.md | 3 ++ 3 files changed, 130 insertions(+) create mode 100644 TARGETS.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index df7dc77..1007f33 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ book for a given target. - **[TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md)**: the full review, grouped by observatory, with a "choosing a telescope" guide at the end. +- **[TARGETS.md](TARGETS.md)**: southern-sky targets invisible from the UK, matched + to scopes and to the time of year to book them. - **[data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)**: snapshot of the network's maintained specs sheet (source of truth for the numbers). - **state/**: project state under the Default Workflow. diff --git a/TARGETS.md b/TARGETS.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9187947 --- /dev/null +++ b/TARGETS.md @@ -0,0 +1,125 @@ +# Southern targets: what the UK can never show you + +A target guide for imaging objects that are invisible (or hopeless) from the UK, +using the southern half of the iTelescope network: Siding Spring, Australia (Q62) +and Deep Sky Chile (X07). Companion to [TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md). + +## The visibility rule from the UK + +From latitude 51.5°N (southern England), an object's maximum altitude is +`90° - 51.5° + declination`: + +- **Dec below about -38°: never rises.** These objects cannot be imaged from the UK + at all, ever. +- **Dec -25° to -38°: technically rises, practically hopeless.** Culminates under + ~15° altitude, buried in atmosphere and murk. +- Dec -10° to -25°: imageable from the UK but always low and compromised; far better + from the southern sites. + +Everything below is grouped by those tiers, then matched to scopes and to the time +of year when it is best placed from the southern sites. + +## Tier 1: never visible from the UK (dec < -38°) + +### The Magellanic Clouds (the headline act) + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Large Magellanic Cloud | -69° | T8 | The whole LMC just fits T8's 4 x 4 degree field | +| Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) | -69° | T73, T17 | Core detail; the finest emission nebula in either sky | +| Small Magellanic Cloud + 47 Tucanae | -72° | T8 | Both in a single T8 frame, a unique composition | +| 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) alone | -72° | T33 (free), T73 | Second-finest globular in the sky | + +### Carina and Crux region + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Eta Carinae Nebula (NGC 3372) | -59° | T71 | Fills T71's 2.7 x 1.8 degree field perfectly; narrowband showpiece | +| Carina to Crux widefield | -60° | T70 | The richest stretch of the Milky Way in one 8-degree frame | +| Southern Pleiades (IC 2602) | -64° | T71, T75 | Bright open cluster | +| Running Chicken (IC 2944) | -63° | T71, T75 | Emission nebula with Bok globules | +| Wishing Well Cluster (NGC 3532) | -58° | T71 | Reportedly the best open cluster in the sky | +| Coalsack + Southern Cross | -60° | T70 | Dark nebula composition | + +### Centaurus and the southern globulars + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) | -47° | T59, T17 | The largest globular cluster known; needs the ~40 arcmin fields | +| Centaurus A (NGC 5128) | -43° | T17, T32, T73 | Iconic dust-lane radio galaxy | +| NGC 4945 | -49° | T73 | Big edge-on spiral, underimaged | +| NGC 6752 (Pavo globular) | -60° | T33 (free) | Third-brightest globular | + +### Ara, Norma and the Scorpius tail + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Fighting Dragons of Ara (NGC 6188) | -49° | T71 | Dramatic narrowband target | +| Prawn Nebula (IC 4628) | -40° | T71, T75 | Large, faint, great in Ha | +| NGC 6231 + Table of Scorpius | -42° | T71 | Rich cluster region | + +### Far-southern galaxies + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| NGC 6744 (Pavo) | -63° | T73, T17 | Milky Way lookalike spiral | +| NGC 1313 (Topsy-Turvy) | -66° | T73 | Distorted starburst spiral | +| NGC 1566 (Spanish Dancer) | -55° | T73 | Grand-design face-on spiral | +| NGC 2070 region galaxies | -69° | T17 | See Magellanic section | + +### Southern nebulae, supernova remnants and planetaries + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Vela SNR | -45° | T70 | Huge filamentary shell, needs the 8-degree field | +| Gum Nebula | -43° | T70 | 36 degrees across; even T70 mosaics it | +| Southern Ring (NGC 3132) | -40° | T73 | Small bright planetary | +| Toby Jug Nebula (IC 2220) | -59° | T73 | Reflection nebula | + +## Tier 2: hopeless from the UK (dec -25° to -38°), excellent from the south + +| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes | +|---|---|---|---| +| Cat's Paw (NGC 6334) | -36° | T71 | Narrowband showpiece | +| War and Peace (NGC 6357) | -34° | T71 | Pairs with the Cat's Paw in one T75 framing | +| NGC 1365 (Great Barred Spiral) | -36° | T73, T17 | The archetypal barred spiral, Fornax | +| Fornax cluster core | -35° | T17, T32 | Galaxy cluster field | +| M83 (Southern Pinwheel) | -30° | T73, T17 | Face-on spiral, superb from Q62/X07 | +| NGC 300 and NGC 55 (Sculptor) | -37°/-39° | T17, T75 | Nearby resolved spirals | +| NGC 253 (Sculptor Galaxy) | -25° | T17, T32 | Huge dusty starburst, low and ruined from the UK | +| Corona Australis dust complex | -37° | T71, T75 | Reflection nebula and dust river | + +## When to book what (from the southern sites) + +Seasons refer to what is well placed in the evening-to-midnight sky at Siding Spring +and Deep Sky Chile. Siding Spring scopes have 30-35 degree minimum elevation limits, +so aim within a few hours of culmination; T70 in Chile can go to the horizon. + +- **Jan-Mar:** Tarantula and the LMC, NGC 1313, Vela SNR and the Gum Nebula, Carina + rising late evening. +- **Apr-Jun:** Eta Carinae at its best, Crux and the Coalsack, Omega Centauri, + Centaurus A, NGC 4945, the Musca dark nebulae. +- **Jul-Sep (now):** the Scorpius tail and Ara at the zenith: Cat's Paw, War and + Peace, Prawn, NGC 6188, NGC 6231; NGC 6744; Corona Australis; 47 Tucanae and the + SMC in the second half of the night. +- **Oct-Dec:** Magellanic Cloud prime time, 47 Tucanae, Sculptor galaxies (NGC 253, + 55, 300), Fornax cluster and NGC 1365, NGC 1566. + +## A sensible first campaign (July-August) + +1. **Free warm-up on T33** (30 min/day, Siding Spring): 47 Tucanae or NGC 6752 in + LRGB across a few nights. Costs nothing, learns the booking system. +2. **T71 narrowband run** (Chile, f/2.8): NGC 6188 or the Cat's Paw + War and Peace + region. Fast optics keep the bill down; use the standard 300 s calibrated subs. +3. **T73 galaxy shot**: NGC 6744, currently well placed, as an LRGB target. +4. **Book ahead for October-November:** T8 for the LMC (or SMC + 47 Tuc in one + frame): the single most "you cannot do this from the UK" image on the network. + +## Cost-shape notes + +- Fast scopes (T71 f/2.8, T75 f/3.8, T70 f/3.5) reach depth in the least imaging + time, which is what you pay for: prefer them for nebulae. +- The two free scopes cover both hemispheres of this list poorly (T68 is northern) + but T33 covers southern globulars and compact targets well. +- Moonlight: narrowband targets (Carina, Ara, Scorpius nebulae) tolerate moon; + save galaxy and globular time (T73, T17, T8 LRGB) for dark-of-moon bookings. diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index c0fe66a..e699da8 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ - 2026-07-17: specs sheet snapshotted to data/itelescope-telescopes.csv (24 scopes). - 2026-07-17: TELESCOPES.md written: per-scope reviews for all 23 active telescopes plus a choosing guide (T74 noted as in commissioning, no specs published). +- 2026-07-18: TARGETS.md written: southern targets invisible from the UK (dec tiers + from lat 51.5°N), matched to Q62/X07 scopes, seasonal booking calendar, and a + July-August starter campaign (T33 free, T71 narrowband, T73 galaxy, T8 LMC later). ## In progress From 066db7222d283ba1442b1fdefd2797db724c74b3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 21:28:32 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 04/20] Add points-budget section to TARGETS.md The user holds 2,638 iTelescope points. Adds a budgeting section built on the published standard-plan rate shape (affordable scopes ~$19-54/hr, premium ~$54-118/hr, ranges reflecting moon-phase and plan discounts; exact per-scope rates live in the login portal planner). Estimates points per finished target (150-350 narrowband on fast scopes, 300-500 dark-of-moon LRGB galaxies, 200-350 for the T8 Magellanic shot), concluding ~2,600 points covers 8-12 showpiece targets. Stretch tactics: free full-moon weeks for clusters, the daily free 30 minutes for framing tests, and booking narrowband at bright moon when rates bottom out. --- TARGETS.md | 30 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 30 insertions(+) diff --git a/TARGETS.md b/TARGETS.md index 9187947..1bc0d83 100644 --- a/TARGETS.md +++ b/TARGETS.md @@ -115,6 +115,36 @@ so aim within a few hours of culmination; T70 in Chile can go to the horizon. 4. **Book ahead for October-November:** T8 for the LMC (or SMC + 47 Tuc in one frame): the single most "you cannot do this from the UK" image on the network. +## Budgeting a points balance + +Published rate shape (from itelescope.net/standard-plans, 2026-07): affordable +scopes roughly $19-54 per imaging hour, premium scopes roughly $54-118 per hour, +where the range is the moon-phase discount (dark of moon at the top of the range, +bright moon at the bottom) and the plan discount (10% on Plan-40, 20% on Plan-90). +Exact per-scope, per-night rates are shown in the login portal's planner; treat the +numbers below as planning estimates, not quotes. + +What a ~2,600 point balance buys, roughly: + +- **A strong narrowband image on a fast scope (T71, T75):** 2-3 hours of exposure + is plenty at f/2.8-f/3.8; booked around gibbous moon the rate is at the low end, + so call it 150-350 points per finished target. +- **An LRGB galaxy on T73 or T17:** wants dark-of-moon time at premium-scope rates; + 3-4 hours, roughly 300-500 points per target. +- **The T8 Magellanic Cloud shot:** 2-3 hours LRGB at a mid-range rate, roughly + 200-350 points. + +So ~2,600 points is comfortably 8-12 finished showpiece targets, or a full year of +the seasonal calendar above at one or two targets a month. Stretch it further with: + +- **Full moon weeks are free** on the standard plans: use them for bright globulars + and clusters (47 Tuc, NGC 3532, IC 2602) where moonlight matters least, and keep + paid time for faint stuff. +- **The daily free 30 minutes** (T33 south, T68 north) for framing tests and short + targets, never spend points discovering a framing mistake. +- **Moon-phase arbitrage:** book narrowband (Carina, Ara, Cat's Paw) at bright moon + when rates bottom out; the 3 nm filters do not care about moonlight. + ## Cost-shape notes - Fast scopes (T71 f/2.8, T75 f/3.8, T70 f/3.5) reach depth in the least imaging From f946361149b3e4e11dd8b844ba325fe8e3c83cc9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 21:55:52 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 05/20] Automation recon: portal endpoints, ACP control servers, live status Records verified findings from a credentialed read-only recon of the iTelescope portal (2026-07-18) in state/NOTES.md: the WebForms login flow, the /DataService.svc JSON endpoints (GetAccountStatus, GetMyAvailablePlans, ApplyPromoCode), the per-telescope ACP web servers behind HTTP auth (tNN.itelescope.online / tNN.itelescope.net:80NN, confirmed on T33), the Planner redirect to lookup.itelescope.online, and the per-site weather URLs. Credentials themselves stay outside the repo. state/TODO.md gains the next automation steps (map ACP endpoints, explore the new planner, enumerate more DataService methods) and a campaign-impact note: most Chile scopes plus several others are currently offline, including recommended T71 and T73, so near-term work should target T33/T8/T32/T59 at Siding Spring and status must be re-checked before any booking. --- state/NOTES.md | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ state/TODO.md | 9 +++++++++ 2 files changed, 34 insertions(+) diff --git a/state/NOTES.md b/state/NOTES.md index 5d83f64..37fc86d 100644 --- a/state/NOTES.md +++ b/state/NOTES.md @@ -10,3 +10,28 @@ - Sensors are 16-bit ADC unless noted (T20's ASI2400C is 14-bit). - Free scopes (30 min/day): T68 (Utah), T33 (Siding Spring). - Minimum elevation limits come from the support article, not the sheet. + +## Automation recon (2026-07-18, all verified live) + +Credentials live OUTSIDE this repo (local claudetemp, never commit them). + +- go.itelescope.net is ASP.NET WebForms. Login: GET /login.aspx, POST + UsernameTextBox/PasswordTextBox plus __VIEWSTATE, __VIEWSTATEGENERATOR, + __EVENTVALIDATION, LoginButton=Login; session cookie then works everywhere. +- JSON service at /DataService.svc (session-cookie auth): GetAccountStatus + (balance, plan, renewal), GetMyAvailablePlans (per-plan, per-scope + AccessDiscount), ApplyPromoCode (POST). More methods likely; enumerate from + inline $.ajax calls on each page (Scripts/Common.js has none). +- Home page /default.aspx carries live network status text (per-scope + offline/online reasons) plus points balance: cheap to poll. +- Reservation/Overview.aspx links every telescope's own control server: + https://tNN.itelescope.online/ or http://tNN.itelescope.net:80NN/. These are + ACP web servers behind HTTP auth accepting the same iTelescope credentials + (verified read-only on T33: index.asp is a TiddlyWiki info page, min elevation + 20 degrees, 900 s max exposure). Session control and plan submission happen + here; ACP endpoint mapping is the next step. +- Reservation/Planner.aspx now redirects to https://lookup.itelescope.online + (new planning tool, not yet explored). +- Weather per site: Weather/Weather.aspx?site=UDRO|SSO|DSC|SRO|AC|EYE. +- Account: Plan-40 (GBP 32.00 per 28 days), renewal 12 Aug 2026, subscribed + since Apr 2019, balance 2,638 points at recon time. diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index e699da8..ffc7f9c 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -19,6 +19,15 @@ ## Pending +- Automation: map the ACP web endpoints on a per-scope server (start with free + T33) for plan submission and status; explore lookup.itelescope.online (the new + planner); enumerate more /DataService.svc methods. Recon notes in NOTES.md. +- Campaign impact (status seen 2026-07-18): T71 and T73 are offline + (development/mount testing), as are T2, T17, T18, T20, T25, T30, T72, T74, + T75, T80. T8, T33, T32, T59 at Siding Spring are operational. Re-plan the + July-August campaign around T33 free time and Siding Spring scopes until the + Chile rebuild finishes; re-check status before any booking. + - Fill in T74 when iTelescope publishes its specs. - Reconcile the retired scopes (T9, T19, T31, T69): the support article still lists them but the maintained sheet does not; confirm status and note it. From 61aae7dca2ff94ab704b1afae13a35c40fc00ec4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:09:24 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 06/20] T33 first-light prep: 47 Tuc test plan and session runbook plans/ngc104-test.txt is the ACP observing plan for the free 30-minute proof run on T33: NGC 104 / 47 Tucanae, L 4x120s + RGB 2x90s at Bin2 (~17 min exposure, ~24 min with overhead), modelled on the account's previous one-click plan format (decimal-hours RA, decimal-degrees dec, #shutdown at end). Already uploaded to the scope's /plans/qisback/ folder and verified to round-trip byte-identical. plans/README.md is the runbook: the T33 ACP endpoint map (status JSON, console read, scope connect, plan upload/run, logs), the verified upload procedure, the not-yet-exercised acquire POST with its Windows-path plan value, the 47 Tuc run window (second half of the SSO night, ~14:00-19:30 UTC), and the step-by-step session procedure including the open questions a first live run must answer (scope-connect requirement, abort control). state/TODO.md tracks the test as in progress. --- plans/README.md | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ plans/ngc104-test.txt | 12 ++++++++ state/TODO.md | 6 +++- 3 files changed, 82 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-) create mode 100644 plans/README.md create mode 100644 plans/ngc104-test.txt diff --git a/plans/README.md b/plans/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a55f277 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +# Observing plans and the T33 session runbook + +ACP observing plans for iTelescope scopes, plus the procedure to run one on T33 +(the free Siding Spring scope). Credentials are NOT in this repo: they live in +the local claudetemp itelescope folder (creds.txt, `username=`/`password=` lines). + +## Plan format (ACP) + +See [ngc104-test.txt](ngc104-test.txt). Directives, then a target line: +`NameRA_decimal_hoursDec_decimal_degrees`. Counts, intervals, binning +and filters are parallel comma-separated lists. `#shutdown` parks safely at the +end (iTelescope's own one-click plans do the same). + +## T33 endpoints (base http://t33.itelescope.net:8033, HTTP auth = iTelescope creds) + +| Purpose | Path | +|---|---| +| Status JSON (times, obsStat, obsOwner) | /ac/SystemStatus/asystemstatus.asp | +| Console text | /ac/SystemStatus/aconsread.asp | +| Scope connect control | /ac/SystemStatus/ascopeconn.asp | +| Shutter/roof status | /ac/SystemStatus/ashutterctl.asp | +| My plan folder (list/upload/delete) | /plans/qisback/aindex.asp, aupload.asp, adelfile.asp | +| Run a plan ("Acquire Images") | POST /ac/Plans/plan.asp | +| My logs | /logs/qisback/aindex.asp | +| Finished data | data.itelescope.net | + +Upload: multipart POST to `/plans/qisback/aupload.asp`, fields `File1` (the file) +and `DestPath=/plans/qisback`. Verified working 2026-07-18; content round-trips +exactly. + +Run: the web UI posts the plan select to `/ac/Plans/plan.asp`; the select's value +is the WINDOWS path `C:\ProgramData\ACP\ACP Web Data\Doc Root\plans\qisback\`. +Field names seen: `plan`, optional `VPhot`, `AutoLogoff`. NOT yet exercised live +(observatory was closed, daytime); the first live session must confirm whether a +scope-connect POST (ascopeconn.asp) is required first, and capture the exact +response shape. + +## The 47 Tuc free-session test (ngc104-test.txt) + +- Target: NGC 104 / 47 Tucanae, RA 0.4015 h, Dec -72.0814 deg (circumpolar at SSO). +- L 4x120 s, RGB 2x90 s each, Bin2: about 17 min exposure, about 24 min with + overhead, inside the daily free 30 minutes. +- Uploaded to /plans/qisback/ on 2026-07-18 and verified. + +### When to run + +47 Tuc clears T33's 20 degree minimum elevation in the second half of the SSO +night. SSO local = UTC+10; the good window is roughly 14:00-19:30 UTC (UK +afternoon/evening). Sunrise at SSO was 06:14 local (20:14 UTC) at recon time; +stop well before dawn. + +### Procedure + +1. GET asystemstatus.asp: confirm observatory open (obsStat) and no other user + (obsOwner n/a). If someone is on, wait and retry; T33 is first-come. +2. Confirm the plan file is still in /plans/qisback/ (aindex.asp). +3. POST plan.asp with the plan's Windows path to start acquisition. +4. Poll aconsread.asp (console) every minute or two: slew, centering, filter + changes, exposures. The run self-terminates via #shutdown. +5. Images land in /images/qisback/ on the scope server and then on + data.itelescope.net; logs in /logs/qisback/. +6. Record the session outcome in state/NOTES.md. + +Abort path if something looks wrong: the web UI exposes an abort on the console +page; locate it live before starting exposures (not yet mapped). diff --git a/plans/ngc104-test.txt b/plans/ngc104-test.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0241f79 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/ngc104-test.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) free-session test plan for qisback +; L 4x120s, RGB 2x90s each, Bin2. ~17 min exposure, ~24 min with overhead. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 4,2,2,2 +#interval 120,90,90,90 +#binning 2,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC104 0.401500 -72.081389 +#shutdown diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index ffc7f9c..b88c381 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ ## In progress -- (nothing) +- T33 first-light test: ngc104-test.txt (47 Tuc, ~24 min LRGB) uploaded to + /plans/qisback/ on T33 and verified. Run window: 2026-07-19 roughly 14:00-19:30 + UTC when 47 Tuc clears the 20 degree limit. Procedure in plans/README.md. + Remaining: live-run the plan (confirm the plan.asp POST and any scope-connect + step), monitor via console, pull images/logs, record outcome in NOTES. ## Pending From ab184a7dcc31aee3eba8d987d480d9d519902333 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:18:26 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 07/20] Second free-session plan: NGC 6752 (Pavo globular) plans/ngc6752.txt mirrors the 47 Tuc test recipe (L 4x120s, RGB 2x90s, Bin2, ~24 min all-in, inside the free daily 30 minutes) on NGC 6752 at RA 19.1811h dec -59.9844: at RA ~19h it is well placed from mid-evening at Siding Spring through the whole run window. Uploaded to T33's /plans/qisback/ and verified byte-identical. Scheduled for Sunday 2026-07-20 ~15:11 UK as an adaptive follow-up: if Saturday's 47 Tuc first-light succeeded it images NGC 6752; if Saturday was clouded out or the scope was contended, it retries the 47 Tuc test instead. state/TODO.md records the dependency so whichever session fires can decide from repo state alone. --- plans/ngc6752.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ state/TODO.md | 4 ++++ 2 files changed, 16 insertions(+) create mode 100644 plans/ngc6752.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc6752.txt b/plans/ngc6752.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..ae0e494 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/ngc6752.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; NGC 6752 (Pavo globular) free-session plan for qisback +; L 4x120s, RGB 2x90s each, Bin2. ~17 min exposure, ~24 min with overhead. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 4,2,2,2 +#interval 120,90,90,90 +#binning 2,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC6752 19.181111 -59.984444 +#shutdown diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index b88c381..e1d372d 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ UTC when 47 Tuc clears the 20 degree limit. Procedure in plans/README.md. Remaining: live-run the plan (confirm the plan.asp POST and any scope-connect step), monitor via console, pull images/logs, record outcome in NOTES. +- Second free session scheduled for 2026-07-20 same window: runs + plans/ngc6752.txt (uploaded to T33, verified) if the 47 Tuc test succeeded, + otherwise retries ngc104-test.txt. Whichever session runs must record its + outcome here and in NOTES so the other knows. ## Pending From c45d87c9d0a456aa97d5474b896a07d17af55625 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:32:29 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 08/20] Rate card: per-scope Plan-40 points rates extracted from the portal The UpdatePlan page embeds each telescope's dark-of-moon base rate in a data-default-rate attribute; effective rate = base x (1 - plan AccessDiscount from DataService.svc/GetMyAvailablePlans) x (1 - moon discount from a server-side illumination table, not yet extracted). Records the computed Plan-40 rates for all 25 listed scopes, the billing model (points per imaging hour, billed per minute of exposure time, overhead unbilled), the walk-in rule (idle scopes need no reservation; the ACP flow is identical to the free scopes with points deducting), and the Cloudflare constraint on the reservation planner. --- state/NOTES.md | 21 +++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 21 insertions(+) diff --git a/state/NOTES.md b/state/NOTES.md index 37fc86d..12a6266 100644 --- a/state/NOTES.md +++ b/state/NOTES.md @@ -35,3 +35,24 @@ Credentials live OUTSIDE this repo (local claudetemp, never commit them). - Weather per site: Weather/Weather.aspx?site=UDRO|SSO|DSC|SRO|AC|EYE. - Account: Plan-40 (GBP 32.00 per 28 days), renewal 12 Aug 2026, subscribed since Apr 2019, balance 2,638 points at recon time. + +## Rate card (2026-07-18, points per imaging hour, billed per minute) + +Extracted from MyAccount/UpdatePlan.aspx: each scope row carries +data-default-rate (dark-of-moon base); effective rate = base x (1 - +AccessDiscount from DataService GetMyAvailablePlans) x (1 - moon discount, +server-side table keyed on illumination, not extracted yet). Plan-40 discount +is 10% on most scopes, 20% on a few, 0% on the newest (T25, T26, T73, T74). + +Plan-40 rates before moon discount: T2 50, T5 68, T8 130, T10 146, T11 161, +T14 97, T17 135, T18 81, T20 89, T21 76, T24 186, T25 322, T26 394, T30 161, +T32 146, T33 0 (free), T59 80, T68 0 (free), T70 119, T71 106, T72 202, +T73 224, T74 295, T75 202, T80 119. + +Standouts: T59 at 80/hr is the value big scope (20" CDK, square 37 arcmin +field, 900 s subs); T5 at 68/hr the cheapest paid; T26 at 394/hr the dearest. +Billing is per minute of imaging (exposure) time, so overhead is not billed. +Paid imaging needs no reservation when a scope is idle: same walk-in ACP flow +as the free scopes, points just deduct. Reservations (to guarantee a slot) go +through lookup.itelescope.online, which is Cloudflare-protected: Playwright +needed. From 08fef91b57aada8e463e0d7951082f65766f62ae Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:41:33 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 09/20] Drain campaign: spend the balance by 10 Aug, then close the account User decision 2026-07-18: use the full 2,638-point balance on southern imaging, then cancel the membership before the 12 Aug renewal (GBP 32). CAMPAIGN.md holds the plan: policy facts that force the order (points are non-refundable and unusable without an active subscription, per support article 142963), a three-phase allocation shaped by the moon (dark-night LRGB now and 3-10 Aug, narrowband through the bright 24 Jul - 2 Aug week), a per-session ledger to reconcile against account/history.aspx, the 10 Aug data-download-then-cancel endgame, and the rule that the cancellation POST itself is never submitted without explicit user confirmation on the day. plans/ngc6744-t59.txt is the first paid run (T59, L 15x300 Bin1 + RGB 7x300 Bin2, ~180 min imaging, ~240 pts), already uploaded to T59 and verified byte-identical. PROJECT.md and TODO.md updated to make the drain the active objective for any future session. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ plans/ngc6744-t59.txt | 13 +++++++++ state/PROJECT.md | 5 ++++ state/TODO.md | 5 ++++ 4 files changed, 88 insertions(+) create mode 100644 CAMPAIGN.md create mode 100644 plans/ngc6744-t59.txt diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bc1908d --- /dev/null +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -0,0 +1,65 @@ +# Drain campaign: spend 2,638 points, then close the account + +Decision (2026-07-18): use the full points balance on southern imaging, then cancel +the membership. Constraints and policy facts that shape the plan: + +- Balance 2,638 points; Plan-40 renews 12 Aug 2026 (GBP 32). Cancel BEFORE renewal. +- Points cannot be refunded, and cannot be used without an active subscription + (support article 142963). So: drain first, cancel last, in that order. +- **Cancellation target: 10 Aug 2026**, two days before renewal. Cancellation is + submitted via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx and requires explicit user confirmation on the + day; Claude must not submit it unprompted. +- Rates: see the rate card in state/NOTES.md. Billing is per minute of imaging time. +- Moon: bright nights roughly 24 Jul - 2 Aug (full ~29 Jul); dark again 5-12 Aug. + Full-moon week includes free access promotions; paid draining focuses on dark and + grey nights, narrowband carries the bright week. +- Scope availability is volatile (much of Chile offline as of 18 Jul); re-check the + status line on go.itelescope.net before every session and substitute freely. + +## Session ledger + +Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged +(from account/history.aspx), cumulative spend. + +| Date | Scope | Target | Plan file | Imaging | Est. pts | Actual pts | Notes | +|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | first-light test | +| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 | | first paid run | +| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | | + +## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow) + +**Phase 1, dark nights now - 23 Jul (~1,030 pts):** +- T59 NGC 6744 LRGB, 3 h, ~240 (scheduled 19 Jul) +- T32 Centaurus A LRGB, 2 h, ~292: early UK-afternoon window while it is high +- T8 Corona Australis dust complex LRGB, 2 h, ~260 +- T70 (Chile) Scorpius tail / Prawn super-wide LRGB, 2 h, ~238 + +**Phase 2, bright nights 24 Jul - 2 Aug (~440 pts, narrowband only):** +- T59 NGC 6188 in Ha/OIII/SII 5nm, 3 h total, ~240 +- T8 Ha on the Cat's Paw / War and Peace field, 1.5 h, ~195 +- Plus any full-moon free promotions for clusters (cost 0, not part of the drain) + +**Phase 3, dark nights 3 - 10 Aug (~1,130 pts):** +- T8 SMC + 47 Tucanae in one frame, 3 h LRGB, ~390: the signature shot, SMC well + placed in the second half of the SSO night by August +- T8 or T59 Large Magellanic Cloud attempt if it clears the elevation limits late + in the window; otherwise Tarantula on T32, 2 h, ~292 +- Remainder (~450): best-of list: repeat the strongest target for more depth, or + Chile scopes (T71 106/hr, T73 224/hr) if they return from maintenance: Tarantula + and NGC 1313 preferred. Aim to land the balance under ~50 points. + +**10 Aug: verify balance is near zero, download ALL data from data.itelescope.net, +then (with explicit user confirmation) cancel via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx.** + +## Operational notes + +- Every paid session follows plans/README.md (walk-in when idle; same ACP flow as + the free scopes). Upload plans the day before where possible. +- Cron jobs live only in an open Claude session; if a day's session has no live + session to fire it, the user prompts "run today's drain session" and any session + picks it up from this file plus state/TODO.md. +- Bad-data protection: iTelescope refunds points for weather-ruined runs on + request; check each session's images before marking the ledger final. +- Final data sweep before cancellation: everything on data.itelescope.net AND the + per-scope /images/qisback/ folders. diff --git a/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt b/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6e76e66 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@ +; +; NGC 6744 paid session on T59 for qisback +; L 15x300s Bin1, RGB 7x300s each Bin2. +; 180 min imaging = ~240 pts at Plan-40 rate 80/hr before moon discount. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 15,7,7,7 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 1,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC6744 19.162833 -63.857500 +#shutdown diff --git a/state/PROJECT.md b/state/PROJECT.md index 9139d4e..316170d 100644 --- a/state/PROJECT.md +++ b/state/PROJECT.md @@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ A reference and review of the iTelescope.net remote telescope network: what each telescope is, what it is good at, and which one to book for a given kind of target. +Since 2026-07-18 the active objective is the drain campaign (CAMPAIGN.md): spend +the account's 2,638 points on southern-sky imaging by 10 Aug 2026, download all +data, then cancel the membership before the 12 Aug renewal. Cancellation needs +explicit user confirmation on the day. + ## Scope - In scope: reviews and spec tables for every telescope on the iTelescope network, diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index e1d372d..2ba756f 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ plans/ngc6752.txt (uploaded to T33, verified) if the 47 Tuc test succeeded, otherwise retries ngc104-test.txt. Whichever session runs must record its outcome here and in NOTES so the other knows. +- DRAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVE (see CAMPAIGN.md): spend the full balance by 10 Aug, + then cancel before the 12 Aug renewal (user confirmation required for the + cancel itself). First paid run: NGC 6744 on T59 (plans/ngc6744-t59.txt, + uploaded and verified), scheduled 2026-07-19 after the free test, ~240 pts. + Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from account/history.aspx. ## Pending From c1d353ca10527341a0fdfdae4d32814af0f9224a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 22:56:36 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 10/20] T59 window fix: third-party reservation constrains the NGC 6744 run The booking grid (Reservation/Overview.aspx embeds the DayPilot events) shows astrosharp holding T59 from 03:50 to 04:40 SSO local on 20 Jul, i.e. 17:50-19:40 UTC on 19 Jul, which collided with the original 15:33 UTC walk-in start. The run is rescheduled to start ~14:15 UTC (parallel with the free T33 test, different scope) so it completes by 17:45 UTC, with a trim-or-skip rule if the start slips. The grid also confirms a 25% moon discount in effect, so the cost estimate drops from ~240 to ~185 points; ledger updated. Times in the embedded grid are per-observatory local time (verified against Utah sunset and the first-quarter moon note). --- CAMPAIGN.md | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index bc1908d..4f1c54e 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged | Date | Scope | Target | Plan file | Imaging | Est. pts | Actual pts | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | first-light test | -| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 | | first paid run | +| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~185 (25% moon disc.) | | first paid run; must clear scope by 17:45 UTC (astrosharp reservation 17:50-19:40 UTC) | | 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | | ## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow) From 9003d672ff3ebee98b8af89b59b641157a96fa4e Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 23:04:26 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 11/20] Reservations created for all three sessions; mechanics documented The Reservations Pilot app at reservations.itelescope.net is now mapped and driven end to end: three-step WebForms flow (form GET, Refresh Plans postback with plan+times selected which enables Confirm, then Confirm), observatory-local times, 4-hour maximum, plan attachment causing iTelescope to auto-start the run at reservation start, and the reschedule flag that rebooks weather losses on the next free night. Crucial gotcha recorded: the confirm modal returns OK even when nothing was created (first attempt silently failed on the 4-hour rule), so verification against the grid is mandatory. Live reservations: 749227 (T59, NGC 6744, 00:05-03:45 SSO local 20 Jul), 749228 (T33, 47 Tuc test, 00:05-00:50 same night), 749229 (T33, NGC 6752, 00:05-00:50 following night). Ledger corrected: T59 moon discount is 0% until 21 Jul (the earlier 25% figure came from a Utah scope's grid), so the NGC 6744 estimate returns to ~240 pts. Monitoring crons replace the old starter crons since the scheduler now fires the plans itself. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 13 ++++++++----- plans/README.md | 26 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 34 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index 4f1c54e..261d7c7 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged | Date | Scope | Target | Plan file | Imaging | Est. pts | Actual pts | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| -| 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | first-light test | -| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~185 (25% moon disc.) | | first paid run; must clear scope by 17:45 UTC (astrosharp reservation 17:50-19:40 UTC) | -| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | | +| 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | first-light test; reservation 749228, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 20 Jul, auto-runs | +| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 (0% moon disc. until 21 Jul) | | first paid run; reservation 749227, 00:05-03:45 SSO local 20 Jul, auto-runs, reschedule flag on; astrosharp holds 03:50-04:40 | +| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | reservation 749229, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 21 Jul, auto-runs | ## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow) @@ -54,8 +54,11 @@ then (with explicit user confirmation) cancel via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx.** ## Operational notes -- Every paid session follows plans/README.md (walk-in when idle; same ACP flow as - the free scopes). Upload plans the day before where possible. +- Sessions are now RESERVED, not walk-in: upload the plan to the scope, then book + it at reservations.itelescope.net with the plan attached (procedure in + plans/README.md); iTelescope auto-starts the plan at reservation start and the + reschedule flag retries weather losses. Claude sessions monitor rather than + drive. T59 moon discount correction: 0% until 21 Jul, 25% from 22 Jul. - Cron jobs live only in an open Claude session; if a day's session has no live session to fire it, the user prompts "run today's drain session" and any session picks it up from this file plus state/TODO.md. diff --git a/plans/README.md b/plans/README.md index a55f277..1a0688d 100644 --- a/plans/README.md +++ b/plans/README.md @@ -63,3 +63,29 @@ stop well before dawn. Abort path if something looks wrong: the web UI exposes an abort on the console page; locate it live before starting exposures (not yet mapped). + +## Reservations (verified working 2026-07-18) + +Reservations live at http://reservations.itelescope.net ("Reservations Pilot"), +reached from each scope's /ac/MenuItems/reservation-edit.asp iframe as +`?t=&u=` (scope ids look like GRAS059 for T59, GRAS033 for +T33; full list in the resources JSON on go.itelescope.net/Reservation/Overview.aspx, +whose embedded DayPilot events also show everyone's bookings, roof/sun times, and +the moon discount per night). No separate login: it trusts the u= parameter once a +session cookie exists. + +Creating one is a three-step WebForms dance against +`New.aspx?start=&end=&r=` (times are OBSERVATORY +LOCAL): (1) GET the form, (2) POST tokens + DropDownStartTime/DropDownEndTime +(e.g. "12:05 AM"/"3:45 AM") + PlanToRunListBox= + RescheduleCheckbox ++ ButtonRefreshPlans=Refresh Plans, which re-renders with Confirm enabled, +(3) re-POST the fresh tokens with the same fields + ReservationOKButton=Confirm +Reservation. Success = response script `ModalStatic.result("OK")` AND the booking +appearing in the grid: the modal also says "OK" on silent failure, so ALWAYS +re-fetch the grid and look for the reservation id + username. + +Rules learned: maximum reservation length 4:00; recommended duration 1.5x total +imaging time; the attached plan is auto-started by iTelescope at reservation +start (no walk-in POST needed); RescheduleCheckbox auto-rebooks the identical +timeslot on the first available night of the next 30 if the run does not happen. +Delete/edit via Edit.aspx?id= from the grid. From a091e38bc4a3f0ff0e76e911e676ad334979b28b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 23:25:22 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 12/20] Booking queue: full campaign reservations attempted, quota documented All seven remaining campaign sessions were attempted against reservations.itelescope.net in one pass. The rolling reservation allowance (8 hours outstanding on Plan-40) admitted only the Cat's Paw Ha session (749230, T8, night of 26 Jul, verified via Edit.aspx?id= since the grid cannot page that far forward); the other six returned 'quota.' and are recorded as a ready-to-fire queue with exact New.aspx parameters. All plans are uploaded and verified on T8/T32/T59; T70's plan could not be uploaded (scope server unreachable, consistent with the Chile outage) and its entry is blocked pending the server returning. Substitution rules recorded: T71, if it returns, takes the widefield sessions (better optics, lower rate); T70 books as-is if reachable; status line checked before every booking round. Booking cadence: a daily job (or manual 'process the booking queue') books queue items in order as completed sessions release quota. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 31 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 31 insertions(+) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index 261d7c7..a42ba84 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -49,6 +49,37 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged Chile scopes (T71 106/hr, T73 224/hr) if they return from maintenance: Tarantula and NGC 1313 preferred. Aim to land the balance under ~50 points. +## Booked reservations (all with plan attached + reschedule flag) + +| ID | Scope | Night of (SSO/obs local) | Slot | Plan | Est. pts | +|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| 749227 | T59 | 19 Jul | 00:05-03:45 | ngc6744-t59.txt | ~240 | +| 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | +| 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | +| 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | + +## Booking queue (blocked by the rolling 8-hour reservation allowance) + +Book in order as quota frees (a session completing releases its hours). Exact +New.aspx parameters; all plans already uploaded and verified on their scopes. +Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. + +| # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts | +|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| 1 | GRAS032 | 2026-07-21T00:35:00 | 2026-07-21T03:35:00 | 12:35 AM | 3:35 AM | cena-t32.txt | ~292 | +| 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | +| 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) | +| 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) | +| 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 | +| 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 | +| 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 | + +Substitution rules: if T71 returns to service, move #2 and #7 to T71 (faster +f/2.8 optics, cheaper 106 pts/hr; re-cut the plans for 1.55"/px). If T70's +server returns, book #7 as-is. Check the go.itelescope.net status line before +each booking round. After #6, allocate the remaining balance (~450 pts) to a +final deep session on the best-performing scope, sized to land under 50 pts. + **10 Aug: verify balance is near zero, download ALL data from data.itelescope.net, then (with explicit user confirmation) cancel via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx.** From 512cdd30746f40043d6fe4605c16d6273e8c8626 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2026 23:25:54 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 13/20] Campaign plan files for every queued session The eight ACP plans backing the drain-campaign booking queue: cena-t32 (Centaurus A LRGB), cra-t8 (Corona Australis dust), catspaw-t8 (NGC 6334 Ha, booked as 749230), smc47tuc-t8 (the SMC + 47 Tuc signature frame), tarantula-t32 (NGC 2070 LRGB), ngc6188-haoiii-t59 and ngc6188-sii-t59 (bright-moon narrowband pair), scorpius-t70 (super-wide, pending the T70 server returning). All except scorpius-t70 are uploaded to their scopes and verified byte-identical; keeping them in the repo lets any session re-upload after scope-side maintenance wipes or for T71 substitution re-cuts. Binning conventions: Bin1 L / Bin2 RGB on the CCD scopes (T8), Bin2 throughout on T32 (camera is Bin2-only), Bin1 on modern CMOS (T70), Bin1 narrowband on T59 with 600 s subs. --- plans/catspaw-t8.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/cena-t32.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/cra-t8.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/scorpius-t70.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ plans/tarantula-t32.txt | 12 ++++++++++++ 8 files changed, 96 insertions(+) create mode 100644 plans/catspaw-t8.txt create mode 100644 plans/cena-t32.txt create mode 100644 plans/cra-t8.txt create mode 100644 plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt create mode 100644 plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt create mode 100644 plans/scorpius-t70.txt create mode 100644 plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt create mode 100644 plans/tarantula-t32.txt diff --git a/plans/catspaw-t8.txt b/plans/catspaw-t8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c541cfb --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/catspaw-t8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; Cat Paw NGC 6334 in Ha on T8 - phase 2 narrowband +; Ha 9x600s Bin1. 90 min imaging. Bright moon OK. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 9 +#interval 600 +#binning 1 +#filter Ha +NGC6334 17.340000 -36.116667 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/cena-t32.txt b/plans/cena-t32.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..94e44c3 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/cena-t32.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; Centaurus A (NGC 5128) on T32 for qisback - drain campaign phase 1 +; L 12x300s, RGB 4x300s each. 120 min imaging. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 12,4,4,4 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 2,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC5128 13.424333 -43.019139 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/cra-t8.txt b/plans/cra-t8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..03663b3 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/cra-t8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; Corona Australis dust complex on T8 for qisback - drain campaign phase 1 +; L 8x300s Bin1, RGB 5x300s each Bin2. 115 min imaging. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 8,5,5,5 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 1,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +CrA-complex 19.030000 -36.955000 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt b/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4299bdd --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; NGC 6188 Fighting Dragons on T59, session A: Ha + OIII - phase 2 narrowband +; Ha 6x600s, OIII 6x600s. 120 min imaging. Bright moon OK. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 6,6 +#interval 600,600 +#binning 1,1 +#filter Ha,OIII +NGC6188 16.669167 -48.796667 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt b/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..864d194 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; NGC 6188 on T59, session B: SII + extra Ha - phase 2 narrowband +; SII 6x600s, Ha 3x600s. 90 min imaging. Bright moon OK. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 6,3 +#interval 600,600 +#binning 1,1 +#filter SII,Ha +NGC6188 16.669167 -48.796667 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/scorpius-t70.txt b/plans/scorpius-t70.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f74ed3d --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/scorpius-t70.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; Scorpius tail super-wide (Prawn/Cat Paw region) on T70 for qisback - phase 1 +; L 10x300s, RGB 4x300s each. 110 min imaging. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 10,4,4,4 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 1,1,1,1 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +Scorpius-tail 16.916667 -40.000000 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt b/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..05dd554 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; SMC + 47 Tucanae in one T8 frame - phase 3 signature shot +; L 8x300s Bin1, RGB 6x300s each Bin2. 130 min imaging. Dark of moon. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 8,6,6,6 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 1,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +SMC-47Tuc 0.650000 -72.500000 +#shutdown diff --git a/plans/tarantula-t32.txt b/plans/tarantula-t32.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cf70646 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/tarantula-t32.txt @@ -0,0 +1,12 @@ +; +; Tarantula Nebula NGC 2070 on T32 - phase 3 +; L 10x300s, RGB 5x300s each. 125 min imaging. Pre-dawn rising target. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 10,5,5,5 +#interval 300,300,300,300 +#binning 2,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC2070 5.643333 -69.100000 +#shutdown From 07713c2f13a94e3b38a95b26152c5f4020e4b999 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:30:11 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 14/20] Record 19-20 Jul session outcomes: T59 success (381 pts), T33 free runs missed - T59 NGC 6744 (reservation 749227) ran 00:05-03:30 SSO local 20 Jul and billed 381 points (txn 851148), not the ~240 estimated. Full LRGB dataset verified on the scope server (L 15x300s BIN1, R/G/B 7x300s each BIN2); preview JPEGs checked: round stars, clean galaxy, no weather damage, so no refund claim. - Rate correction in state/NOTES.md: history 'Time Used' equals wall-clock session time (3h24m32s), and the effective rate was ~112 pts/hr wall / ~127 pts/hr exposure vs the 80/hr the UpdatePlan rate card predicted. All existing queue estimates flagged ~1.6x low until more bills confirm the model. - Both free T33 reservations (749228 47 Tuc, 749229 NGC 6752) expired unused: no images, no logs; grid shows reschedule=No despite the flag being set at booking. First-light test is still outstanding; plans remain uploaded on T33. - Ledger, booked-reservations table and queue updated: balance verified 2,257 via GetAccountStatus; queue #1 (Cen A T32) missed its 21 Jul slot and needs a new night. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++---------- state/NOTES.md | 9 +++++++++ state/TODO.md | 30 +++++++++++++++++++----------- 3 files changed, 51 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index a42ba84..9d26005 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -23,9 +23,18 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged | Date | Scope | Target | Plan file | Imaging | Est. pts | Actual pts | Notes | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| -| 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | first-light test; reservation 749228, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 20 Jul, auto-runs | -| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 (0% moon disc. until 21 Jul) | | first paid run; reservation 749227, 00:05-03:45 SSO local 20 Jul, auto-runs, reschedule flag on; astrosharp holds 03:50-04:40 | -| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | reservation 749229, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 21 Jul, auto-runs | +| 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | DID NOT RUN | reservation 749228 expired unused: no images, no logs on T33 (checked 20 Jul); grid shows reschedule=No despite the flag being set at booking | +| 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 (0% moon disc. until 21 Jul) | **381** | SUCCESS (txn 851148): ran 00:05:22-03:29:56 SSO, Time Used 3h24m32s, 0% moon disc. Full dataset on scope server: L 15x300s BIN1, RGB 7x300s each BIN2; previews checked, round stars, galaxy clean: no refund case. Effective rate ~112 pts/hr of WALL time (not the 80/hr imaging-time estimate: see NOTES rate correction) | +| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | DID NOT RUN | reservation 749229 expired unused: no images, no logs (checked 20 Jul 20:30 UTC, after window) | + +Cumulative spend: 381. Balance after (verified GetAccountStatus 2026-07-20): **2,257**. + +**Re-estimation warning (2026-07-20):** T59 actual came in at 1.6x the estimate +(381 vs ~240). Either billing is on wall-clock session time (Time Used matched +start-to-end, not the 180 min of exposure) or the rate card's 80/hr for T59 is +stale. Treat ALL queue estimates below as ~1.6x low until re-verified against +account/history.aspx after the next paid run. At 1.6x, the remaining queue +(~1,700 est) actually covers the full 2,257 balance nicely. ## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow) @@ -51,12 +60,16 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged ## Booked reservations (all with plan attached + reschedule flag) -| ID | Scope | Night of (SSO/obs local) | Slot | Plan | Est. pts | -|---|---|---|---|---|---| -| 749227 | T59 | 19 Jul | 00:05-03:45 | ngc6744-t59.txt | ~240 | -| 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | -| 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | -| 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | +| ID | Scope | Night of (SSO/obs local) | Slot | Plan | Est. pts | Status (2026-07-20) | +|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| +| 749227 | T59 | 19 Jul | 00:05-03:45 | ngc6744-t59.txt | ~240 | COMPLETED, billed 381 | +| 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | +| 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | +| 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | + +The T33 free runs and the T33 first-light test remain outstanding: rebook a free +T33 slot (next window: night of 22 Jul SSO, 00:05-00:50, i.e. 21 Jul ~14:05 UTC) +and investigate why the reschedule flag read "No" in the grid. ## Booking queue (blocked by the rolling 8-hour reservation allowance) @@ -66,7 +79,7 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| -| 1 | GRAS032 | 2026-07-21T00:35:00 | 2026-07-21T03:35:00 | 12:35 AM | 3:35 AM | cena-t32.txt | ~292 | +| 1 | GRAS032 | MISSED 21 Jul slot (passed unbooked); rebook next clear night, Cen A best early in the SSO night | | 12:35 AM | 3:35 AM | cena-t32.txt | ~292 (x1.6?) | | 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | | 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) | | 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) | diff --git a/state/NOTES.md b/state/NOTES.md index 12a6266..3d37f7e 100644 --- a/state/NOTES.md +++ b/state/NOTES.md @@ -52,6 +52,15 @@ T73 224, T74 295, T75 202, T80 119. Standouts: T59 at 80/hr is the value big scope (20" CDK, square 37 arcmin field, 900 s subs); T5 at 68/hr the cheapest paid; T26 at 394/hr the dearest. Billing is per minute of imaging (exposure) time, so overhead is not billed. + +**RATE CORRECTION (2026-07-20, from the first real bill):** the paragraph above +underestimates. T59 session 851148: 180 min of exposure, wall clock 00:05:22 to +03:29:56 (3h24m34s), history "Time Used" 3h24m32s = WALL time, billed 381 points +at 0% moon discount. That is ~112 pts/hr of wall time or ~127 pts/hr of exposure +time, vs the 80/hr the card predicted. So either Time Used (wall clock) is what +gets billed, or the card's data-default-rate is stale. Consequence: estimate +sessions at rate x reserved-slot-length (slots run ~1.15-1.5x imaging time), i.e. +multiply old exposure-based estimates by ~1.6 until more bills confirm the model. Paid imaging needs no reservation when a scope is idle: same walk-in ACP flow as the free scopes, points just deduct. Reservations (to guarantee a slot) go through lookup.itelescope.online, which is Cloudflare-protected: Playwright diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 2ba756f..6a0be28 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -13,21 +13,29 @@ from lat 51.5°N), matched to Q62/X07 scopes, seasonal booking calendar, and a July-August starter campaign (T33 free, T71 narrowband, T73 galaxy, T8 LMC later). +## Done (recent) + +- 2026-07-20: NGC 6744 on T59 SUCCEEDED (reservation 749227, txn 851148): full + LRGB dataset on the scope server (L 15x300s BIN1, RGB 7x300s each BIN2), + previews verified clean. Billed 381 pts (est was ~240: see the rate + correction in NOTES.md). Balance now 2,257. Ledger updated in CAMPAIGN.md. + ## In progress -- T33 first-light test: ngc104-test.txt (47 Tuc, ~24 min LRGB) uploaded to - /plans/qisback/ on T33 and verified. Run window: 2026-07-19 roughly 14:00-19:30 - UTC when 47 Tuc clears the 20 degree limit. Procedure in plans/README.md. - Remaining: live-run the plan (confirm the plan.asp POST and any scope-connect - step), monitor via console, pull images/logs, record outcome in NOTES. -- Second free session scheduled for 2026-07-20 same window: runs - plans/ngc6752.txt (uploaded to T33, verified) if the 47 Tuc test succeeded, - otherwise retries ngc104-test.txt. Whichever session runs must record its - outcome here and in NOTES so the other knows. +- T33 first-light test STILL OUTSTANDING: reservations 749228 (47 Tuc, night of + 19 Jul) and 749229 (NGC 6752, night of 20 Jul) both expired unused: no images, + no logs, and the grid showed reschedule=No despite the flag being set at + booking. Plans are still uploaded and verified on T33. Next free window: + night of 22 Jul SSO (21 Jul ~14:05 UTC). Rebook 00:05-00:50 with + ngc104-test.txt, and investigate the reschedule flag (may not stick on free + scopes, or the checkbox POST was ignored). - DRAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVE (see CAMPAIGN.md): spend the full balance by 10 Aug, then cancel before the 12 Aug renewal (user confirmation required for the - cancel itself). First paid run: NGC 6744 on T59 (plans/ngc6744-t59.txt, - uploaded and verified), scheduled 2026-07-19 after the free test, ~240 pts. + cancel itself). 381 of 2,638 spent; 2,257 remain. IMPORTANT: estimates run + ~1.6x low vs actual billing (see NOTES rate correction): re-cost the queue + before booking more. Queue #1 (Cen A T32) missed its 21 Jul slot and needs a + new night. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before the + 10 Aug cancellation sweep. Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from account/history.aspx. ## Pending From bd31a8a6fb7740204d50f25960c6f45af8fd730b Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:56:56 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 15/20] Rebook Cen A on T32 as evening reservation 749302; document quota-driven booking order - Reservation 749302 created and grid-verified: T32, night of 21 Jul SSO, 18:50-21:50 local (08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul), plan cena-t32.txt, est ~350 pts at the corrected x1.6 rate with 25% moon discount (46% moon ~30 deg away). - The original queue slot (00:35-03:35) was an astronomy error: T32 has a 35 degree elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 SSO local in late July, sinking to ~11 degrees by midnight. Evening is the only viable window; noted in the ledger so the mistake is not repeated. - Reschedule flag confirmed to never stick (second booking posting RescheduleCheckbox=on that renders as No in the grid): every reservation is one-shot, verify the morning after. - Quota math recorded: 5h20m of 8h held; queue #2 (cra-t8) plus the free T33 47 Tuc retry must wait for the Cen A run to release its 3h (~11:50 UTC 21 Jul). Full remaining queue at corrected rates ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance: Phase 3 needs a ~270-point trim once real bills confirm the rate model. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 13 ++++++++++++- state/TODO.md | 14 ++++++++++---- 2 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index 9d26005..1ad1515 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ account/history.aspx after the next paid run. At 1.6x, the remaining queue | 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | +| 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | booked 20 Jul. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). 46% moon is up ~30 deg away: acceptable for a bright drain target. Reschedule flag AGAIN shows No despite RescheduleCheckbox=on in the POST: the flag does not stick, treat every booking as one-shot | The T33 free runs and the T33 first-light test remain outstanding: rebook a free T33 slot (next window: night of 22 Jul SSO, 00:05-00:50, i.e. 21 Jul ~14:05 UTC) @@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| -| 1 | GRAS032 | MISSED 21 Jul slot (passed unbooked); rebook next clear night, Cen A best early in the SSO night | | 12:35 AM | 3:35 AM | cena-t32.txt | ~292 (x1.6?) | +| 1 | BOOKED as 749302 (see table above); the original 00:35 slot was an error, Cen A is an EVENING target (35 deg floor on T32) | | | | | cena-t32.txt | ~350 | | 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | | 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) | | 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) | @@ -87,6 +88,16 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 | | 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 | +Quota position after booking 749302 (2026-07-20): held = 749230 (2h20m) + +749302 (3h) = 5h20m of the 8h allowance, ~2h40m free. Queue #2 (cra-t8, 3h, +night of 21 Jul SSO = 22 Jul 01:35 local) does NOT fit until tonight's Cen A +run completes (~11:50 UTC 21 Jul) and releases its 3h. NEXT BOOKING ROUND: +21 Jul around midday UK, book #2 cra-t8 (full 3h) plus the free T33 47 Tuc +retry (00:05-00:50, night of 22 Jul SSO). At corrected (x1.6) rates the full +remaining queue runs ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance (~270 over): once actual bills +for Cen A and CrA land, trim Phase 3 (shorten Tarantula #6 or the SMC slot) +to land the balance near zero. + Substitution rules: if T71 returns to service, move #2 and #7 to T71 (faster f/2.8 optics, cheaper 106 pts/hr; re-cut the plans for 1.55"/px). If T70's server returns, book #7 as-is. Check the go.itelescope.net status line before diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 6a0be28..54f7841 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -32,10 +32,16 @@ - DRAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVE (see CAMPAIGN.md): spend the full balance by 10 Aug, then cancel before the 12 Aug renewal (user confirmation required for the cancel itself). 381 of 2,638 spent; 2,257 remain. IMPORTANT: estimates run - ~1.6x low vs actual billing (see NOTES rate correction): re-cost the queue - before booking more. Queue #1 (Cen A T32) missed its 21 Jul slot and needs a - new night. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before the - 10 Aug cancellation sweep. + ~1.6x low vs actual billing (see NOTES rate correction). Cen A REBOOKED + 2026-07-20 as reservation 749302: T32, night of 21 Jul SSO, 18:50-21:50 + local (08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul), evening slot because T32's 35 deg floor + makes Cen A an evening-only target (the old 00:35 slot was an error). + NEXT SESSION (21 Jul ~midday UK): check 749302 ran + bill, then book queue + #2 (cra-t8, 3h, quota frees when Cen A completes) and the free T33 47 Tuc + retry (00:05-00:50 night of 22 Jul SSO). Reschedule flag never sticks + (grid always shows No): treat every reservation as one-shot and verify the + morning after. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before + the 10 Aug cancellation sweep. Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from account/history.aspx. ## Pending From f49e045bb68eec1961f798333eea240ee96bc1a3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:52:35 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 16/20] Book free T33 47 Tuc retry (749314); defer cra-t8 on quota + hajo conflict - Session ran early (08:48 UTC, before Cen A 749302's 08:50 UTC start), so this round did only the time-sensitive, unblocked work. - Free T33 47 Tuc retry booked and grid-verified as reservation 749314 (night of 21 Jul SSO, 00:05-00:50, runs 14:05 UTC). Third attempt: the two prior free reservations expired unused, so if this one also fails to run the issue is free-scope auto-start, not the booking. - Cen A (749302) verify deferred: had not run yet; runs 08:50-11:50 UTC. - cra-t8 (queue #2) deferred, blocked twice: quota held by Cen A until ~11:50 UTC, AND user hajo holds T8 00:25-02:25 SSO local that night (res 749207), overlapping the planned 01:35-04:35 slot. Documented resolution options; preferred is slipping cra-t8 one night to 2026-07-23T01:35 to dodge the conflict and keep Corona Australis near culmination. - Scheduled job ae3af497 (~12:13 UTC) will verify Cen A and book cra-t8 against a live grid re-check. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 43 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------ state/TODO.md | 45 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++------------------- 2 files changed, 57 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index 1ad1515..7ec6e21 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -66,11 +66,13 @@ account/history.aspx after the next paid run. At 1.6x, the remaining queue | 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | -| 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | booked 20 Jul. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). 46% moon is up ~30 deg away: acceptable for a bright drain target. Reschedule flag AGAIN shows No despite RescheduleCheckbox=on in the POST: the flag does not stick, treat every booking as one-shot | +| 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | booked 20 Jul. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). 46% moon is up ~30 deg away: acceptable for a bright drain target. Reschedule flag AGAIN shows No despite RescheduleCheckbox=on in the POST: the flag does not stick, treat every booking as one-shot. RUNS 08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul; verify after that | +| 749314 | T33 | 21 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 (free) | booked + grid-verified 2026-07-21 08:55 UTC. 47 Tuc first-light retry, third attempt. Runs 14:05-14:50 UTC 21 Jul. Reschedule flag again No (free scopes never rebook) | -The T33 free runs and the T33 first-light test remain outstanding: rebook a free -T33 slot (next window: night of 22 Jul SSO, 00:05-00:50, i.e. 21 Jul ~14:05 UTC) -and investigate why the reschedule flag read "No" in the grid. +The T33 first-light test is now on its THIRD booking (749314); the two prior free +reservations expired unused. If this one also fails to run, the problem is not the +booking but the auto-start on free scopes: escalate to walk-in (POST plan.asp per +plans/README.md) or drop the free-imaging objective. ## Booking queue (blocked by the rolling 8-hour reservation allowance) @@ -81,20 +83,37 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | BOOKED as 749302 (see table above); the original 00:35 slot was an error, Cen A is an EVENING target (35 deg floor on T32) | | | | | cena-t32.txt | ~350 | -| 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | +| 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | CONFLICT: user hajo holds T8 00:25-02:25 that night (res 749207), overlapping our 01:35 start. See resolution note below | | 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) | | 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) | | 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 | | 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 | | 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 | -Quota position after booking 749302 (2026-07-20): held = 749230 (2h20m) + -749302 (3h) = 5h20m of the 8h allowance, ~2h40m free. Queue #2 (cra-t8, 3h, -night of 21 Jul SSO = 22 Jul 01:35 local) does NOT fit until tonight's Cen A -run completes (~11:50 UTC 21 Jul) and releases its 3h. NEXT BOOKING ROUND: -21 Jul around midday UK, book #2 cra-t8 (full 3h) plus the free T33 47 Tuc -retry (00:05-00:50, night of 22 Jul SSO). At corrected (x1.6) rates the full -remaining queue runs ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance (~270 over): once actual bills +### Session 2026-07-21 ~08:55 UTC (booking round run early, before Cen A ran) + +Done this session: free T33 47 Tuc retry booked as 749314 (grid-verified). NOT +done, both correctly deferred: +- **Cen A verify**: 749302 had not run yet (starts 08:50 UTC, this session ran at + 08:48). Verify after 11:50 UTC. +- **cra-t8 (#2)**: blocked twice over. (1) Quota: Cen A holds 3h until it + completes ~11:50 UTC; with Cat's Paw (2h20m) + Cen A (3h) + T33 (45m) held, + under ~1h55m is free, not enough for a 3h slot. (2) Conflict: user hajo holds + T8 00:25-02:25 SSO local (res 749207), overlapping our planned 01:35-04:35. + +**cra-t8 resolution options** (pick with a live grid re-check when quota frees): +- (a) Shift to 02:25-05:25 after hajo. Downside: Corona Australis culminates + ~22:30 SSO local, so by 02:25-05:25 it is 4-6.5h past meridian and low; poor. +- (b) PREFERRED: move cra-t8 to the NEXT night, 2026-07-23T01:35-04:35 (night of + 22 Jul SSO), same clock time, avoids hajo, keeps decent altitude. Re-check that + night's T8 grid first. One night's slip is fine inside the drain window. +- (c) Earlier slot 21:25-00:25 (before hajo) is astronomically best but starts + 11:25 UTC, before Cen A releases quota at 11:50; not bookable in time. + +The scheduled 12:13 UTC job (ae3af497) fires after Cen A completes: it should +verify Cen A + bill, then book cra-t8 by option (b) unless the grid has changed +(hajo may cancel, opening option (a)/original). At corrected (x1.6) rates the +full remaining queue runs ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance (~270 over): once actual bills for Cen A and CrA land, trim Phase 3 (shorten Tarantula #6 or the SMC slot) to land the balance near zero. diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 54f7841..712a10c 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -20,29 +20,36 @@ previews verified clean. Billed 381 pts (est was ~240: see the rate correction in NOTES.md). Balance now 2,257. Ledger updated in CAMPAIGN.md. +## Done (recent) + +- 2026-07-21 ~08:55 UTC: free T33 47 Tuc retry booked as reservation 749314 + (grid-verified), third attempt at the first-light test, runs 14:05-14:50 UTC + 21 Jul, costs 0. + ## In progress -- T33 first-light test STILL OUTSTANDING: reservations 749228 (47 Tuc, night of - 19 Jul) and 749229 (NGC 6752, night of 20 Jul) both expired unused: no images, - no logs, and the grid showed reschedule=No despite the flag being set at - booking. Plans are still uploaded and verified on T33. Next free window: - night of 22 Jul SSO (21 Jul ~14:05 UTC). Rebook 00:05-00:50 with - ngc104-test.txt, and investigate the reschedule flag (may not stick on free - scopes, or the checkbox POST was ignored). +- T33 first-light test on its THIRD booking (749314). The two prior free + reservations (749228, 749229) expired unused with reschedule=No; the free-scope + auto-start appears not to fire. If 749314 also fails to run, stop rebooking and + either walk it in (POST plan.asp per plans/README.md) or drop the free objective. +- CEN A verify pending: reservation 749302 (T32) runs 08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul. + After 11:50 UTC, confirm images on t32.itelescope.net:8032, pull the actual + bill from Account/History.aspx, spot-check a preview, and refine the x1.6 rate + model in NOTES.md. +- cra-t8 (queue #2) NOT yet booked, deferred twice over: (1) quota held by Cen A + until ~11:50 UTC; (2) user hajo holds T8 00:25-02:25 SSO local that night + (res 749207), overlapping our planned 01:35-04:35. Resolution: prefer booking + the NEXT night (2026-07-23T01:35-04:35) to dodge hajo and keep altitude; see + the resolution note in CAMPAIGN.md. Scheduled job ae3af497 (~12:13 UTC) handles + Cen A verify + this booking with a live grid re-check. - DRAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVE (see CAMPAIGN.md): spend the full balance by 10 Aug, then cancel before the 12 Aug renewal (user confirmation required for the - cancel itself). 381 of 2,638 spent; 2,257 remain. IMPORTANT: estimates run - ~1.6x low vs actual billing (see NOTES rate correction). Cen A REBOOKED - 2026-07-20 as reservation 749302: T32, night of 21 Jul SSO, 18:50-21:50 - local (08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul), evening slot because T32's 35 deg floor - makes Cen A an evening-only target (the old 00:35 slot was an error). - NEXT SESSION (21 Jul ~midday UK): check 749302 ran + bill, then book queue - #2 (cra-t8, 3h, quota frees when Cen A completes) and the free T33 47 Tuc - retry (00:05-00:50 night of 22 Jul SSO). Reschedule flag never sticks - (grid always shows No): treat every reservation as one-shot and verify the - morning after. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before - the 10 Aug cancellation sweep. - Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from account/history.aspx. + cancel itself). 381 of 2,638 spent; 2,257 remain. Estimates run ~1.6x low vs + actual billing (see NOTES rate correction). Reschedule flag never sticks (grid + always shows No): treat every reservation as one-shot and verify the morning + after. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before the 10 Aug + cancellation sweep. Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from + account/history.aspx. ## Pending From cd3de7136136ec0f82a86335183ff373ad814411 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:43:11 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 17/20] Verify Cen A, book CrA on T8 for 22 Jul evening, rebuild the rate model Cen A (reservation 749302, T32) completed at 11:16 UTC, 34 minutes early because the plan finished, not because of a fault: NGC5128 images are on t32.itelescope.net:8032 and transaction 851344 billed 160 points. Balance is now 2,097 of the original 2,638. That second bill settles the billing question the 20 Jul note left open. T32 billed 160 for a 120 min plan (2.00 h x 80) and T59 billed 381 for a 180 min plan (3.00 h x 127); both land exactly on the plan's exposure total and neither lands on wall-clock time. So billing is per imaging minute as originally documented, and the x1.6 wall-clock multiplier is withdrawn from CAMPAIGN.md, TODO.md and NOTES.md. What is actually wrong is the rate card's per-scope numbers, so each scope's rate now has to be derived from its first real bill. The practical consequence is the opposite of the old warning: the campaign is now heading to UNDER-spend by roughly 800 points, so later planning sessions should add or lengthen runs rather than trim them. Queue #2 (Corona Australis on T8) is booked at last. The original 01:35-04:35 slot was confirmed dead by probing New.aspx, which answered "Conflicting reservation. Start time must be later than 2:25 AM" (user hajo's reservation 749207, exactly as the previous session predicted). Rather than take the leftover 02:30-05:30, where the target sits 3.5 to 6.5 hours past the meridian, the run moved to the next night's evening, 2026-07-22 21:45 to 2026-07-23 00:45 SSO local, which brackets the ~22:30 culmination so all 115 minutes of imaging happen near the zenith. This is the geometry of the previously rejected option (c) on the night of option (b): (c) was only rejected because Cen A held the reservation quota, and that expired when Cen A completed. Verified via Reservation/MySummary.aspx; quota now 6:50 of 8:00. The New.aspx probe is documented in plans/README.md as the way to test a slot for conflicts, since the DayPilot grid renders client-side and shows nothing to a plain HTTP fetch. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 65 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------- plans/README.md | 9 +++++++ state/NOTES.md | 13 ++++++++++ state/TODO.md | 47 ++++++++++++++++++++--------------- 4 files changed, 105 insertions(+), 29 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index 7ec6e21..d1963b0 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -26,15 +26,27 @@ Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged | 2026-07-19 | T33 | 47 Tuc | ngc104-test.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | DID NOT RUN | reservation 749228 expired unused: no images, no logs on T33 (checked 20 Jul); grid shows reschedule=No despite the flag being set at booking | | 2026-07-19 | T59 | NGC 6744 | ngc6744-t59.txt | 180 min | ~240 (0% moon disc. until 21 Jul) | **381** | SUCCESS (txn 851148): ran 00:05:22-03:29:56 SSO, Time Used 3h24m32s, 0% moon disc. Full dataset on scope server: L 15x300s BIN1, RGB 7x300s each BIN2; previews checked, round stars, galaxy clean: no refund case. Effective rate ~112 pts/hr of WALL time (not the 80/hr imaging-time estimate: see NOTES rate correction) | | 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | DID NOT RUN | reservation 749229 expired unused: no images, no logs (checked 20 Jul 20:30 UTC, after window) | +| 2026-07-21 | T32 | Centaurus A | cena-t32.txt | 120 min | ~350 (x1.6 model) | **160** | SUCCESS (txn 851344): ran 18:50:24-21:16:19 SSO local (08:50-11:16 UTC), Time Used 2h25m55s, 25% moon discount. Images present: /images/qisback/T32/NGC5128 on t32.itelescope.net:8032. Came in at 0.46x the x1.6 model, i.e. LESS than the original estimate: see the rate correction below | -Cumulative spend: 381. Balance after (verified GetAccountStatus 2026-07-20): **2,257**. +Cumulative spend: 541. Balance after (verified GetAccountStatus 2026-07-21 +11:40 UTC): **2,097**. -**Re-estimation warning (2026-07-20):** T59 actual came in at 1.6x the estimate -(381 vs ~240). Either billing is on wall-clock session time (Time Used matched -start-to-end, not the 180 min of exposure) or the rate card's 80/hr for T59 is -stale. Treat ALL queue estimates below as ~1.6x low until re-verified against -account/history.aspx after the next paid run. At 1.6x, the remaining queue -(~1,700 est) actually covers the full 2,257 balance nicely. +**Rate correction (2026-07-21, supersedes the 2026-07-20 x1.6 warning).** Two +paid runs now bracket the question, and both bill EXACTLY the plan's imaging +minutes, not wall-clock: + +| Scope | Plan imaging | Wall (Time Used) | Billed | Points per imaging hour | +|---|---|---|---|---| +| T59 | 180 min (36x300s) | 3h24m32s | 381 | **127** (0% moon) | +| T32 | 120 min (24x300s) | 2h25m55s | 160 | **80** (25% moon) | + +381 = 3.00 h x 127 and 160 = 2.00 h x 80, both to the point. So billing is on +imaging time as originally documented, and the wall-clock theory is dead. What +is wrong is the rate card in NOTES.md: it lists T59 at 80/hr (actual 127) and +T32 at 146/hr (actual 80 even after the 25% moon discount, so a base near +107/hr). The two look transposed, but two samples cannot prove that. **Do not +apply a blanket multiplier.** Derive each scope's effective rate from its first +actual bill, and treat any not-yet-observed scope's card rate as +/-60%. ## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow) @@ -66,7 +78,8 @@ account/history.aspx after the next paid run. At 1.6x, the remaining queue | 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) | | 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | -| 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | booked 20 Jul. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). 46% moon is up ~30 deg away: acceptable for a bright drain target. Reschedule flag AGAIN shows No despite RescheduleCheckbox=on in the POST: the flag does not stick, treat every booking as one-shot. RUNS 08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul; verify after that | +| 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | COMPLETED, billed 160. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). Ran 18:50-21:16, finishing 34 min early (plan complete, not a fault); images landed under /images/qisback/T32/NGC5128 | +| (id not captured) | T8 | 22 Jul | 21:45-00:45 | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | booked + MySummary-verified 2026-07-21 11:45 UTC. This is queue #2 finally placed: see the resolution note below. Runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul | | 749314 | T33 | 21 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 (free) | booked + grid-verified 2026-07-21 08:55 UTC. 47 Tuc first-light retry, third attempt. Runs 14:05-14:50 UTC 21 Jul. Reschedule flag again No (free scopes never rebook) | The T33 first-light test is now on its THIRD booking (749314); the two prior free @@ -83,7 +96,7 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | BOOKED as 749302 (see table above); the original 00:35 slot was an error, Cen A is an EVENING target (35 deg floor on T32) | | | | | cena-t32.txt | ~350 | -| 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | CONFLICT: user hajo holds T8 00:25-02:25 that night (res 749207), overlapping our 01:35 start. See resolution note below | +| 2 | BOOKED 2026-07-21 for the night of 22 Jul, 21:45-00:45 (see table above); the 01:35 slot was blocked by hajo and low anyway | | | | | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | | 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) | | 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) | | 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 | @@ -117,6 +130,40 @@ full remaining queue runs ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance (~270 over): once actual bills for Cen A and CrA land, trim Phase 3 (shorten Tarantula #6 or the SMC slot) to land the balance near zero. +### Session 2026-07-21 ~11:40 UTC (Cen A verify + cra-t8 booked) + +Ran ahead of the 12:13 UTC scheduled job, after Cen A had finished at 11:16 UTC. + +- **Cen A verified**: completed, billed 160, NGC5128 images on the scope server. + Ledger and rate model updated (the x1.6 model is withdrawn: see the rate + correction above). +- **cra-t8 booked**, but on a better slot than the deferred option (b). Probing + New.aspx for the original 01:35-04:35 returned "Conflicting reservation. Start + time must be later than 2:25 AM" (hajo, as predicted), confirming that option + (a) was all that remained on the night of 21 Jul, and it puts Corona Australis + 3.5-6.5 h past the meridian. Instead the run went to the EVENING of the next + night: **2026-07-22T21:45 - 2026-07-23T00:45 SSO local**, which brackets the + ~22:30 culmination, so the whole 115 min of imaging happens near the zenith. + This is option (c)'s geometry on option (b)'s night; the reason (c) was + unbookable earlier (quota held by Cen A) had expired by the time Cen A + completed. Grid probing showed no conflict on either side of the slot. + Verified in Reservation/MySummary.aspx; quota now 6:50 / 8:00. +- Moon on the night of 22 Jul is ~57% illuminated, the last usable night before + the bright-week narrowband phase. LRGB on a dust complex under a half moon is + a compromise, but the alternative is slipping a Phase 1 broadband target into + the bright week, which is worse. +- Reservation id NOT captured: the confirm response carries only + `ModalStatic.result("OK")` and MySummary does not print ids. Nothing depends + on the id unless the booking must be edited or deleted, in which case find it + by probing Edit.aspx?id= around the current sequence (749314 was issued + ~08:55 UTC on 21 Jul). +- Budget: 2,097 left, 19 nights to 10 Aug. Remaining queue at card rates is + roughly 1,300, which UNDER-spends by ~800. With the x1.6 model withdrawn, the + next planning session should add work rather than trim it: candidates are a + second narrowband night on T59 (observed 127/hr, the only scope with a + trustworthy rate), or extending the Phase 3 SMC and Tarantula runs, both of + which have the sky time to absorb longer plans. + Substitution rules: if T71 returns to service, move #2 and #7 to T71 (faster f/2.8 optics, cheaper 106 pts/hr; re-cut the plans for 1.55"/px). If T70's server returns, book #7 as-is. Check the go.itelescope.net status line before diff --git a/plans/README.md b/plans/README.md index 1a0688d..71c823e 100644 --- a/plans/README.md +++ b/plans/README.md @@ -84,6 +84,15 @@ Reservation. Success = response script `ModalStatic.result("OK")` AND the bookin appearing in the grid: the modal also says "OK" on silent failure, so ALWAYS re-fetch the grid and look for the reservation id + username. +Availability probing (2026-07-21): a plain GET of +`New.aspx?start=...&end=...&r=...` is a cheap, side-effect-free conflict check. +The form comes back with the two time dropdowns populated for +/-60 min around +the requested times, and if the slot collides with someone else's booking it +also renders "Conflicting reservation. Start time must be later than H:MM AM". +No message plus a full pair of dropdowns means the window is clear. This beats +reading the DayPilot grid, whose event divs do not survive a plain +Invoke-WebRequest fetch (they are rendered client-side). + Rules learned: maximum reservation length 4:00; recommended duration 1.5x total imaging time; the attached plan is auto-started by iTelescope at reservation start (no walk-in POST needed); RescheduleCheckbox auto-rebooks the identical diff --git a/state/NOTES.md b/state/NOTES.md index 3d37f7e..3a4323c 100644 --- a/state/NOTES.md +++ b/state/NOTES.md @@ -61,6 +61,19 @@ time, vs the 80/hr the card predicted. So either Time Used (wall clock) is what gets billed, or the card's data-default-rate is stale. Consequence: estimate sessions at rate x reserved-slot-length (slots run ~1.15-1.5x imaging time), i.e. multiply old exposure-based estimates by ~1.6 until more bills confirm the model. + +**RATE CORRECTION 2 (2026-07-21, second bill; SUPERSEDES the x1.6 rule above).** +T32 session 851344: 120 min of exposure, Time Used 2h25m55s, 25% moon discount, +billed 160. 160 = 2.00 h x 80 exactly, and the T59 bill is 381 = 3.00 h x 127 +exactly. Both land on the plan's IMAGING minutes to the point, and neither lands +on wall time. So the wall-clock theory is dead and the original "billed per +minute of exposure" documentation was right; what is wrong is the card's +per-scope numbers. Observed effective rates: **T59 127/hr** (card said 80), +**T32 80/hr even after a 25% moon discount**, implying a base near 107/hr (card +said 146). The pair looks transposed, but two samples cannot prove it. Rules: +do NOT apply any blanket multiplier; derive each scope's rate from its first +real bill; until then treat a card rate as +/-60%; and compute estimates from +the plan's exposure total, never from the reserved slot length. Paid imaging needs no reservation when a scope is idle: same walk-in ACP flow as the free scopes, points just deduct. Reservations (to guarantee a slot) go through lookup.itelescope.online, which is Cloudflare-protected: Playwright diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 712a10c..612369e 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -26,30 +26,37 @@ (grid-verified), third attempt at the first-light test, runs 14:05-14:50 UTC 21 Jul, costs 0. +## Done (recent) + +- 2026-07-21 11:40 UTC: Cen A on T32 verified COMPLETE (billed 160, NGC5128 + images on the scope server), and queue #2 (Corona Australis on T8) booked for + the night of 22 Jul, 21:45-00:45 SSO local, which brackets the target's + culmination instead of chasing it down the western sky. Rate model rebuilt + from two actual bills. Details in the CAMPAIGN.md session note. + ## In progress -- T33 first-light test on its THIRD booking (749314). The two prior free - reservations (749228, 749229) expired unused with reschedule=No; the free-scope - auto-start appears not to fire. If 749314 also fails to run, stop rebooking and - either walk it in (POST plan.asp per plans/README.md) or drop the free objective. -- CEN A verify pending: reservation 749302 (T32) runs 08:50-11:50 UTC 21 Jul. - After 11:50 UTC, confirm images on t32.itelescope.net:8032, pull the actual - bill from Account/History.aspx, spot-check a preview, and refine the x1.6 rate - model in NOTES.md. -- cra-t8 (queue #2) NOT yet booked, deferred twice over: (1) quota held by Cen A - until ~11:50 UTC; (2) user hajo holds T8 00:25-02:25 SSO local that night - (res 749207), overlapping our planned 01:35-04:35. Resolution: prefer booking - the NEXT night (2026-07-23T01:35-04:35) to dodge hajo and keep altitude; see - the resolution note in CAMPAIGN.md. Scheduled job ae3af497 (~12:13 UTC) handles - Cen A verify + this booking with a live grid re-check. +- T33 first-light test on its THIRD booking (749314), which had NOT yet run as of + 11:40 UTC 21 Jul: it starts 14:05 UTC. Verify after 14:50 UTC (images and logs + on t33.itelescope.net:8033 were still empty/stale at 11:40, as expected). The + two prior free reservations (749228, 749229) expired unused with reschedule=No; + if 749314 also fails to run, stop rebooking and either walk it in (POST + plan.asp per plans/README.md) or drop the free objective. +- CrA on T8 runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul. Verify after 14:45 UTC: images under + /images/qisback/T8/ on t8.itelescope.net:8008, then the actual bill from + account/history.aspx into the ledger. This is the first T8 bill, so it also + fixes T8's effective rate (card says 130/hr; trust nothing until observed). - DRAIN CAMPAIGN ACTIVE (see CAMPAIGN.md): spend the full balance by 10 Aug, then cancel before the 12 Aug renewal (user confirmation required for the - cancel itself). 381 of 2,638 spent; 2,257 remain. Estimates run ~1.6x low vs - actual billing (see NOTES rate correction). Reschedule flag never sticks (grid - always shows No): treat every reservation as one-shot and verify the morning - after. Download the NGC 6744 data from data.itelescope.net before the 10 Aug - cancellation sweep. Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session from - account/history.aspx. + cancel itself). 541 of 2,638 spent; 2,097 remain. The x1.6 estimate multiplier + is WITHDRAWN: billing is on plan imaging minutes, and per-scope rates must come + from actual bills (T59 127/hr, T32 80/hr observed; the NOTES rate card is + unreliable). On current numbers the campaign UNDER-spends by ~800: plan extra + or longer runs, do not trim. Reschedule flag never sticks (grid always shows + No): treat every reservation as one-shot and verify the morning after. + Download the NGC 6744 and NGC 5128 data from data.itelescope.net before the + 10 Aug cancellation sweep. Update the CAMPAIGN.md ledger after every session + from account/history.aspx. ## Pending From 7bf834a184e65e8e00de1037051dc6bdf8984304 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:41:23 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 18/20] Book a short-exposure core set for Cen A, and make it a campaign habit Processing the 21 Jul Centaurus A data showed the nucleus is saturated: a single 300 s luminance sub reads 65313 ADU in the core, so the deep stack is clipped there and the core cannot be recovered by processing. The only fix is more data at shorter exposures. plans/hdrcore-t32.txt is that data: L 8x60s, 8x15s and 8x5s plus RGB 5x30s, all BIN2 so the frames register against the deep stack without rescaling. The ladder spans a factor of 60 below the 300 s subs, which covers the unknown true peak of the nucleus, and the RGB gives the core its colour. 18.2 minutes of imaging, about 25 points. Uploaded to T32 and verified byte-identical, then booked for the evening of 22 Jul, 18:50-19:50 SSO local, which is the same window in which the deep run actually succeeded (T32 has a 35 degree elevation floor and Cen A is an evening target). Verified in MySummary; quota now 7:05 of 8:00. The wider point is recorded in CAMPAIGN.md: bright targets need a short set budgeted alongside the deep run. NGC 6744 has already been shot without one, and 47 Tuc and the SMC in queue #5 will certainly need one, a globular cluster core being the fastest thing there is to saturate. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 19 +++++++++++++++++++ plans/hdrcore-t32.txt | 17 +++++++++++++++++ state/TODO.md | 5 +++++ 3 files changed, 41 insertions(+) create mode 100644 plans/hdrcore-t32.txt diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index d1963b0..ed7e9d6 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ actual bill, and treat any not-yet-observed scope's card rate as +/-60%. | 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | | 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | COMPLETED, billed 160. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). Ran 18:50-21:16, finishing 34 min early (plan complete, not a fault); images landed under /images/qisback/T32/NGC5128 | | (id not captured) | T8 | 22 Jul | 21:45-00:45 | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | booked + MySummary-verified 2026-07-21 11:45 UTC. This is queue #2 finally placed: see the resolution note below. Runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul | +| (id not captured) | T32 | 22 Jul | 18:50-19:50 | hdrcore-t32.txt | ~25 | booked + MySummary-verified 2026-07-21 13:30 UTC. HDR core set for the 21 Jul Cen A data, whose nucleus is saturated: see the note below. Runs 08:50-09:50 UTC 22 Jul, immediately before the T8 run that night | | 749314 | T33 | 21 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 (free) | booked + grid-verified 2026-07-21 08:55 UTC. 47 Tuc first-light retry, third attempt. Runs 14:05-14:50 UTC 21 Jul. Reschedule flag again No (free scopes never rebook) | The T33 first-light test is now on its THIRD booking (749314); the two prior free @@ -102,6 +103,24 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 | | 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 | | 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 | +| 8 | BOOKED 2026-07-21 for 22 Jul 18:50-19:50 (see table above) | | | | | hdrcore-t32.txt | ~25 | + +### Short-exposure core sets are now part of the campaign + +The 21 Jul Cen A data came back with a saturated nucleus: a single 300 s +luminance sub reads 65313 ADU in the core, so the deep stack is clipped there +and no amount of processing recovers it. plans/hdrcore-t32.txt is the fix, an +exposure ladder (L 8x60s, 8x15s, 8x5s, RGB 5x30s, all BIN2 to match) that +blends in under the clipped core. It costs about 25 points, roughly a sixth of +what the deep run cost, and the same trick applies to any bright target. + +**Apply this to the rest of the queue.** NGC 6744 (already shot, 19 Jul) has a +bright nucleus and probably needs the same treatment; 47 Tuc and the SMC +(queue #5) certainly will, since a globular cluster core saturates fast. Before +each remaining bright-target run, budget an extra ~25 points and an hour of +reservation quota for a matching short set, and cut the ladder from the deep +plan's exposure rather than guessing: shortest sub = deep sub / 60 is what was +used here. ### Session 2026-07-21 ~08:55 UTC (booking round run early, before Cen A ran) diff --git a/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt b/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..908c510 --- /dev/null +++ b/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt @@ -0,0 +1,17 @@ +; +; Centaurus A (NGC 5128) HDR core set on T32 for qisback - drain campaign +; Companion to cena-t32.txt (2026-07-21, 24x300s LRGB BIN2), whose nucleus is +; saturated: the core reaches 65313 ADU in a single 300s luminance sub. +; This is the short-exposure ladder to blend under that core. +; L 8x60s, 8x15s, 8x5s spans a 60x range below 300s; RGB 5x30s gives the +; nucleus colour. BIN2 throughout so the frames register to the deep stack +; without rescaling. 18.2 min imaging total. +; +#largepreviews +#tiff +#count 8,8,8,5,5,5 +#interval 60,15,5,30,30,30 +#binning 2,2,2,2,2,2 +#filter Luminance,Luminance,Luminance,Red,Green,Blue +NGC5128 13.424333 -43.019139 +#shutdown diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 612369e..51b91f0 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ two prior free reservations (749228, 749229) expired unused with reschedule=No; if 749314 also fails to run, stop rebooking and either walk it in (POST plan.asp per plans/README.md) or drop the free objective. +- HDR core set on T32 runs 08:50-09:50 UTC 22 Jul (plans/hdrcore-t32.txt, ~25 + pts). Verify after 09:50 UTC, then download and blend it under the saturated + core of the 21 Jul Cen A stack. The processing pipeline for that stack lives + in the user's Downloads\NGC5128\20260721\stacked\scripts folder, not in this + repo, with METHODS.md alongside it. - CrA on T8 runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul. Verify after 14:45 UTC: images under /images/qisback/T8/ on t8.itelescope.net:8008, then the actual bill from account/history.aspx into the ledger. This is the first T8 bill, so it also From 7dc611935992882cca3622f6bd78265f551617b8 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Laurence Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 14:50:38 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 19/20] Correct the saturated-nucleus claim and cancel the booking it justified The previous commit asserted that the 21 Jul Centaurus A data came back with a saturated nucleus, and booked a short-exposure core set on T32 to fix it. The assertion was wrong. It came from taking the maximum pixel inside a 300 x 300 px box centred on the frame. That measures the brightest thing near the middle of the image, which is not the same as measuring the galaxy. The 65313 ADU belonged to a foreground star 128 px (69 arcsec) from the nucleus, well inside the box. Median filtering the inner 800 x 800 px to remove stars leaves the galaxy peaking at 1944 ADU, roughly a thirtieth of the clip level, with not one star-free pixel above 30000 ADU anywhere in that box. The brightest pixel in the whole frame is at the right-hand edge, 2370 px from centre. The core looked blown in the processed image because of the stretch, not the sensor: the white point sat at the 99.995th percentile, a level set by field stars, so the galaxy's entire range from a 7 ADU sky to a 1944 ADU peak was compressed into the top few percent of the tone curve. Re-rendering the same frames with a second curve scaled to the galaxy recovered the core completely, with no new data. The T32 reservation has been cancelled without running, so it cost nothing. The other three reservations were verified intact afterwards and quota is back to 6:05 of 8:00. plans/hdrcore-t32.txt stays in the repo and on the scope: 47 Tuc and the SMC may genuinely saturate, a dense cluster core being the fastest thing there is to clip, and the ladder is ready if they do. The corrected habit is recorded in CAMPAIGN.md: measure whether a core is saturated before buying time to fix it, filtering stars out of the measurement first. The check takes a minute and would have saved this whole detour. TODO.md also records a second result that affects future planning: the faint outer halo of that stack is limited by the sky-plane subtraction, which absorbed about 17.9 ADU/px of real halo light, rather than by exposure time. More integration alone would not have gone deeper. --- CAMPAIGN.md | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++---------------- state/TODO.md | 23 ++++++++++++++++++----- 2 files changed, 44 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/CAMPAIGN.md index ed7e9d6..06717ba 100644 --- a/CAMPAIGN.md +++ b/CAMPAIGN.md @@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ actual bill, and treat any not-yet-observed scope's card rate as +/-60%. | 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked | | 749302 | T32 | 21 Jul | 18:50-21:50 | cena-t32.txt | ~350 (x1.6 rate, 25% moon disc.) | COMPLETED, billed 160. EVENING slot: T32 has a 35 deg elevation floor and Cen A culminates ~17:10 before dark, sinking to 11 deg by the old 00:35 slot (which could never have run). Ran 18:50-21:16, finishing 34 min early (plan complete, not a fault); images landed under /images/qisback/T32/NGC5128 | | (id not captured) | T8 | 22 Jul | 21:45-00:45 | cra-t8.txt | ~250 | booked + MySummary-verified 2026-07-21 11:45 UTC. This is queue #2 finally placed: see the resolution note below. Runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul | -| (id not captured) | T32 | 22 Jul | 18:50-19:50 | hdrcore-t32.txt | ~25 | booked + MySummary-verified 2026-07-21 13:30 UTC. HDR core set for the 21 Jul Cen A data, whose nucleus is saturated: see the note below. Runs 08:50-09:50 UTC 22 Jul, immediately before the T8 run that night | +| (id not captured) | T32 | 22 Jul | 18:50-19:50 | hdrcore-t32.txt | ~25 | **CANCELLED 2026-07-21 ~15:00 UTC, never ran, 0 points spent.** Booked to fix a saturated Cen A nucleus; the nucleus is not saturated (see the correction below). Deleted from MySummary with the other three reservations verified intact afterwards; quota back to 6:05/8:00 | | 749314 | T33 | 21 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 (free) | booked + grid-verified 2026-07-21 08:55 UTC. 47 Tuc first-light retry, third attempt. Runs 14:05-14:50 UTC 21 Jul. Reschedule flag again No (free scopes never rebook) | The T33 first-light test is now on its THIRD booking (749314); the two prior free @@ -103,24 +103,34 @@ Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid. | 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 | | 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 | | 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 | -| 8 | BOOKED 2026-07-21 for 22 Jul 18:50-19:50 (see table above) | | | | | hdrcore-t32.txt | ~25 | +| 8 | WITHDRAWN: booked then cancelled 2026-07-21, premise was wrong (see below) | | | | | hdrcore-t32.txt | 0 | -### Short-exposure core sets are now part of the campaign +### CORRECTION (2026-07-21): the Cen A nucleus was never saturated -The 21 Jul Cen A data came back with a saturated nucleus: a single 300 s -luminance sub reads 65313 ADU in the core, so the deep stack is clipped there -and no amount of processing recovers it. plans/hdrcore-t32.txt is the fix, an -exposure ladder (L 8x60s, 8x15s, 8x5s, RGB 5x30s, all BIN2 to match) that -blends in under the clipped core. It costs about 25 points, roughly a sixth of -what the deep run cost, and the same trick applies to any bright target. +An earlier entry here claimed the 21 Jul Cen A data came back with a saturated +nucleus, and booked a short-exposure core set on that basis. **The claim was +wrong and the booking has been cancelled without running, at a cost of zero +points.** -**Apply this to the rest of the queue.** NGC 6744 (already shot, 19 Jul) has a -bright nucleus and probably needs the same treatment; 47 Tuc and the SMC -(queue #5) certainly will, since a globular cluster core saturates fast. Before -each remaining bright-target run, budget an extra ~25 points and an hour of -reservation quota for a matching short set, and cut the ladder from the deep -plan's exposure rather than guessing: shortest sub = deep sub / 60 is what was -used here. +The 65313 ADU figure came from taking the maximum pixel inside a 300 x 300 px +box centred on the frame. That measures the brightest thing near the middle of +the image, which is not the same as measuring the galaxy: it was a foreground +star 128 px (69 arcsec) from the nucleus, sitting inside the box. Median +filtering the inner 800 x 800 px to remove stars leaves the galaxy peaking at +**1944 ADU**, about a thirtieth of the clip level, with **not one star-free +pixel above 30000 ADU**. The core looked blown in the first processed image +because of the display stretch, whose white point was set by field stars, and +re-rendering the same data with a second tone curve scaled to the galaxy +recovered it fully. + +**The habit that IS worth keeping, in corrected form:** before booking extra +time to fix a saturated core, *measure whether it is saturated* - median-filter +the inner region to remove stars first, and check where the frame's bright +pixels actually are. The check costs a minute. 47 Tuc and the SMC (queue #5) +may still genuinely saturate, a dense cluster core being the fastest thing there +is to clip, so run the same measurement on their data before assuming either +way. plans/hdrcore-t32.txt stays in the repo (and on T32) as a ready-made +ladder if one of them turns out to need it. ### Session 2026-07-21 ~08:55 UTC (booking round run early, before Cen A ran) diff --git a/state/TODO.md b/state/TODO.md index 51b91f0..13a5890 100644 --- a/state/TODO.md +++ b/state/TODO.md @@ -42,11 +42,24 @@ two prior free reservations (749228, 749229) expired unused with reschedule=No; if 749314 also fails to run, stop rebooking and either walk it in (POST plan.asp per plans/README.md) or drop the free objective. -- HDR core set on T32 runs 08:50-09:50 UTC 22 Jul (plans/hdrcore-t32.txt, ~25 - pts). Verify after 09:50 UTC, then download and blend it under the saturated - core of the 21 Jul Cen A stack. The processing pipeline for that stack lives - in the user's Downloads\NGC5128\20260721\stacked\scripts folder, not in this - repo, with METHODS.md alongside it. +- The T32 HDR core set (plans/hdrcore-t32.txt) was booked and then CANCELLED on + 2026-07-21 without running: the Cen A nucleus is not saturated, the earlier + claim having measured a foreground star. See the correction in CAMPAIGN.md. + Zero points spent. The plan file remains available on T32 if a genuinely + saturated target turns up. +- The 21 Jul Cen A data has been fully processed off-repo, in the user's + Downloads\NGC5128\20260721\stacked folder: masters, plate solution (0.27 + arcsec on 237 stars), an LRGB composite, a globular cluster survey (289 + candidates, 62% catalogue-confirmed, density falling 10.5x outward), surface + photometry (Sersic n = 4.27, Re = 400 arcsec, total G = 6.56, which matches + the catalogued brightness and so validates the photometric chain), and a + transient/moving-object search (both null, with measured limits). METHODS.md + there documents the lot. Nothing from that analysis needs to come back into + this repo, but two results affect FUTURE sessions and are recorded here: + **(a)** measure saturation properly before buying short subs, and **(b)** the + faint outer halo in that stack is limited by the sky-plane subtraction + (-17.9 ADU/px of real halo light absorbed), not by exposure time, so more + integration alone would not have gone deeper. - CrA on T8 runs 11:45-14:45 UTC 22 Jul. Verify after 14:45 UTC: images under /images/qisback/T8/ on t8.itelescope.net:8008, then the actual bill from account/history.aspx into the ledger. This is the first T8 bill, so it also From a0e458b429d3cf37dcb8bfed50b7ac67b43b8dbf Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: laurence Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2026 17:13:47 +0100 Subject: [PATCH 20/20] Move the iTelescope network reference and campaign under itelescope/ Preparing to merge this repository into a combined astrophotography repo. The network review, the southern-target guide, the drain campaign and the observing plans all belong together under one directory; the Default Workflow files (CLAUDE.md, docs/, state/) stay at the top level because they will govern the combined repository rather than just this part of it. --- CAMPAIGN.md => itelescope/CAMPAIGN.md | 0 README.md => itelescope/README.md | 0 TARGETS.md => itelescope/TARGETS.md | 0 TELESCOPES.md => itelescope/TELESCOPES.md | 0 {data => itelescope/data}/itelescope-telescopes.csv | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/README.md | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/catspaw-t8.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/cena-t32.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/cra-t8.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/hdrcore-t32.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc104-test.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6744-t59.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6752.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/scorpius-t70.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/smc47tuc-t8.txt | 0 {plans => itelescope/plans}/tarantula-t32.txt | 0 18 files changed, 0 insertions(+), 0 deletions(-) rename CAMPAIGN.md => itelescope/CAMPAIGN.md (100%) rename README.md => itelescope/README.md (100%) rename TARGETS.md => itelescope/TARGETS.md (100%) rename TELESCOPES.md => itelescope/TELESCOPES.md (100%) rename {data => itelescope/data}/itelescope-telescopes.csv (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/README.md (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/catspaw-t8.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/cena-t32.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/cra-t8.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/hdrcore-t32.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc104-test.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6744-t59.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/ngc6752.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/scorpius-t70.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/smc47tuc-t8.txt (100%) rename {plans => itelescope/plans}/tarantula-t32.txt (100%) diff --git a/CAMPAIGN.md b/itelescope/CAMPAIGN.md similarity index 100% rename from CAMPAIGN.md rename to itelescope/CAMPAIGN.md diff --git a/README.md b/itelescope/README.md similarity index 100% rename from README.md rename to itelescope/README.md diff --git a/TARGETS.md b/itelescope/TARGETS.md similarity index 100% rename from TARGETS.md rename to itelescope/TARGETS.md diff --git a/TELESCOPES.md b/itelescope/TELESCOPES.md similarity index 100% rename from TELESCOPES.md rename to itelescope/TELESCOPES.md diff --git a/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv b/itelescope/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv similarity index 100% rename from data/itelescope-telescopes.csv rename to itelescope/data/itelescope-telescopes.csv diff --git a/plans/README.md b/itelescope/plans/README.md similarity index 100% rename from plans/README.md rename to itelescope/plans/README.md diff --git a/plans/catspaw-t8.txt b/itelescope/plans/catspaw-t8.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/catspaw-t8.txt rename to itelescope/plans/catspaw-t8.txt diff --git a/plans/cena-t32.txt b/itelescope/plans/cena-t32.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/cena-t32.txt rename to itelescope/plans/cena-t32.txt diff --git a/plans/cra-t8.txt b/itelescope/plans/cra-t8.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/cra-t8.txt rename to itelescope/plans/cra-t8.txt diff --git a/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt b/itelescope/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/hdrcore-t32.txt rename to itelescope/plans/hdrcore-t32.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc104-test.txt b/itelescope/plans/ngc104-test.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/ngc104-test.txt rename to itelescope/plans/ngc104-test.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt b/itelescope/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt rename to itelescope/plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt b/itelescope/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt rename to itelescope/plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt b/itelescope/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/ngc6744-t59.txt rename to itelescope/plans/ngc6744-t59.txt diff --git a/plans/ngc6752.txt b/itelescope/plans/ngc6752.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/ngc6752.txt rename to itelescope/plans/ngc6752.txt diff --git a/plans/scorpius-t70.txt b/itelescope/plans/scorpius-t70.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/scorpius-t70.txt rename to itelescope/plans/scorpius-t70.txt diff --git a/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt b/itelescope/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt rename to itelescope/plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt diff --git a/plans/tarantula-t32.txt b/itelescope/plans/tarantula-t32.txt similarity index 100% rename from plans/tarantula-t32.txt rename to itelescope/plans/tarantula-t32.txt