laurence
a0e458b429
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.
100 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
100 lines
5.2 KiB
Markdown
# Observing plans and the T33 session runbook
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ACP observing plans for iTelescope scopes, plus the procedure to run one on T33
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(the free Siding Spring scope). Credentials are NOT in this repo: they live in
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the local claudetemp itelescope folder (creds.txt, `username=`/`password=` lines).
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## Plan format (ACP)
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See [ngc104-test.txt](ngc104-test.txt). Directives, then a target line:
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`Name<TAB>RA_decimal_hours<TAB>Dec_decimal_degrees`. Counts, intervals, binning
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and filters are parallel comma-separated lists. `#shutdown` parks safely at the
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end (iTelescope's own one-click plans do the same).
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## T33 endpoints (base http://t33.itelescope.net:8033, HTTP auth = iTelescope creds)
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| Purpose | Path |
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|---|---|
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| Status JSON (times, obsStat, obsOwner) | /ac/SystemStatus/asystemstatus.asp |
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| Console text | /ac/SystemStatus/aconsread.asp |
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| Scope connect control | /ac/SystemStatus/ascopeconn.asp |
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| Shutter/roof status | /ac/SystemStatus/ashutterctl.asp |
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| My plan folder (list/upload/delete) | /plans/qisback/aindex.asp, aupload.asp, adelfile.asp |
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| Run a plan ("Acquire Images") | POST /ac/Plans/plan.asp |
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| My logs | /logs/qisback/aindex.asp |
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| Finished data | data.itelescope.net |
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Upload: multipart POST to `/plans/qisback/aupload.asp`, fields `File1` (the file)
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and `DestPath=/plans/qisback`. Verified working 2026-07-18; content round-trips
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exactly.
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Run: the web UI posts the plan select to `/ac/Plans/plan.asp`; the select's value
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is the WINDOWS path `C:\ProgramData\ACP\ACP Web Data\Doc Root\plans\qisback\<file>`.
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Field names seen: `plan`, optional `VPhot`, `AutoLogoff`. NOT yet exercised live
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(observatory was closed, daytime); the first live session must confirm whether a
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scope-connect POST (ascopeconn.asp) is required first, and capture the exact
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response shape.
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## The 47 Tuc free-session test (ngc104-test.txt)
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- Target: NGC 104 / 47 Tucanae, RA 0.4015 h, Dec -72.0814 deg (circumpolar at SSO).
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- L 4x120 s, RGB 2x90 s each, Bin2: about 17 min exposure, about 24 min with
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overhead, inside the daily free 30 minutes.
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- Uploaded to /plans/qisback/ on 2026-07-18 and verified.
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### When to run
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47 Tuc clears T33's 20 degree minimum elevation in the second half of the SSO
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night. SSO local = UTC+10; the good window is roughly 14:00-19:30 UTC (UK
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afternoon/evening). Sunrise at SSO was 06:14 local (20:14 UTC) at recon time;
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stop well before dawn.
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### Procedure
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1. GET asystemstatus.asp: confirm observatory open (obsStat) and no other user
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(obsOwner n/a). If someone is on, wait and retry; T33 is first-come.
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2. Confirm the plan file is still in /plans/qisback/ (aindex.asp).
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3. POST plan.asp with the plan's Windows path to start acquisition.
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4. Poll aconsread.asp (console) every minute or two: slew, centering, filter
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changes, exposures. The run self-terminates via #shutdown.
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5. Images land in /images/qisback/ on the scope server and then on
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data.itelescope.net; logs in /logs/qisback/.
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6. Record the session outcome in state/NOTES.md.
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Abort path if something looks wrong: the web UI exposes an abort on the console
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page; locate it live before starting exposures (not yet mapped).
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## Reservations (verified working 2026-07-18)
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Reservations live at http://reservations.itelescope.net ("Reservations Pilot"),
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reached from each scope's /ac/MenuItems/reservation-edit.asp iframe as
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`?t=<scope-id>&u=<username>` (scope ids look like GRAS059 for T59, GRAS033 for
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T33; full list in the resources JSON on go.itelescope.net/Reservation/Overview.aspx,
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whose embedded DayPilot events also show everyone's bookings, roof/sun times, and
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the moon discount per night). No separate login: it trusts the u= parameter once a
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session cookie exists.
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Creating one is a three-step WebForms dance against
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`New.aspx?start=<ISO local>&end=<ISO local>&r=<scope-id>` (times are OBSERVATORY
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LOCAL): (1) GET the form, (2) POST tokens + DropDownStartTime/DropDownEndTime
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(e.g. "12:05 AM"/"3:45 AM") + PlanToRunListBox=<plan file> + RescheduleCheckbox
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+ ButtonRefreshPlans=Refresh Plans, which re-renders with Confirm enabled,
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(3) re-POST the fresh tokens with the same fields + ReservationOKButton=Confirm
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Reservation. Success = response script `ModalStatic.result("OK")` AND the booking
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appearing in the grid: the modal also says "OK" on silent failure, so ALWAYS
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re-fetch the grid and look for the reservation id + username.
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Availability probing (2026-07-21): a plain GET of
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`New.aspx?start=...&end=...&r=...` is a cheap, side-effect-free conflict check.
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The form comes back with the two time dropdowns populated for +/-60 min around
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the requested times, and if the slot collides with someone else's booking it
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also renders "Conflicting reservation. Start time must be later than H:MM AM".
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No message plus a full pair of dropdowns means the window is clear. This beats
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reading the DayPilot grid, whose event divs do not survive a plain
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Invoke-WebRequest fetch (they are rendered client-side).
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Rules learned: maximum reservation length 4:00; recommended duration 1.5x total
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imaging time; the attached plan is auto-started by iTelescope at reservation
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start (no walk-in POST needed); RescheduleCheckbox auto-rebooks the identical
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timeslot on the first available night of the next 30 if the run does not happen.
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Delete/edit via Edit.aspx?id=<reservation id> from the grid.
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