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CAMPAIGN.md
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CAMPAIGN.md
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@ -1,218 +0,0 @@
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# Drain campaign: spend 2,638 points, then close the account
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Decision (2026-07-18): use the full points balance on southern imaging, then cancel
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the membership. Constraints and policy facts that shape the plan:
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- Balance 2,638 points; Plan-40 renews 12 Aug 2026 (GBP 32). Cancel BEFORE renewal.
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- Points cannot be refunded, and cannot be used without an active subscription
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(support article 142963). So: drain first, cancel last, in that order.
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- **Cancellation target: 10 Aug 2026**, two days before renewal. Cancellation is
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submitted via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx and requires explicit user confirmation on the
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day; Claude must not submit it unprompted.
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- Rates: see the rate card in state/NOTES.md. Billing is per minute of imaging time.
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- Moon: bright nights roughly 24 Jul - 2 Aug (full ~29 Jul); dark again 5-12 Aug.
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Full-moon week includes free access promotions; paid draining focuses on dark and
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grey nights, narrowband carries the bright week.
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- Scope availability is volatile (much of Chile offline as of 18 Jul); re-check the
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status line on go.itelescope.net before every session and substitute freely.
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## Session ledger
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Update after every run: date, scope, target, imaging minutes, points charged
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(from account/history.aspx), cumulative spend.
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| Date | Scope | Target | Plan file | Imaging | Est. pts | Actual pts | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 |
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| 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) |
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| 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) |
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| 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 |
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Cumulative spend: 541. Balance after (verified GetAccountStatus 2026-07-21
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11:40 UTC): **2,097**.
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**Rate correction (2026-07-21, supersedes the 2026-07-20 x1.6 warning).** Two
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paid runs now bracket the question, and both bill EXACTLY the plan's imaging
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minutes, not wall-clock:
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| Scope | Plan imaging | Wall (Time Used) | Billed | Points per imaging hour |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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| T59 | 180 min (36x300s) | 3h24m32s | 381 | **127** (0% moon) |
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| T32 | 120 min (24x300s) | 2h25m55s | 160 | **80** (25% moon) |
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381 = 3.00 h x 127 and 160 = 2.00 h x 80, both to the point. So billing is on
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imaging time as originally documented, and the wall-clock theory is dead. What
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is wrong is the rate card in NOTES.md: it lists T59 at 80/hr (actual 127) and
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T32 at 146/hr (actual 80 even after the 25% moon discount, so a base near
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107/hr). The two look transposed, but two samples cannot prove that. **Do not
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apply a blanket multiplier.** Derive each scope's effective rate from its first
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actual bill, and treat any not-yet-observed scope's card rate as +/-60%.
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## Planned allocation (~2,600 points, adapt as scopes/weather allow)
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**Phase 1, dark nights now - 23 Jul (~1,030 pts):**
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- T59 NGC 6744 LRGB, 3 h, ~240 (scheduled 19 Jul)
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- T32 Centaurus A LRGB, 2 h, ~292: early UK-afternoon window while it is high
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- T8 Corona Australis dust complex LRGB, 2 h, ~260
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- T70 (Chile) Scorpius tail / Prawn super-wide LRGB, 2 h, ~238
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**Phase 2, bright nights 24 Jul - 2 Aug (~440 pts, narrowband only):**
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- T59 NGC 6188 in Ha/OIII/SII 5nm, 3 h total, ~240
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- T8 Ha on the Cat's Paw / War and Peace field, 1.5 h, ~195
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- Plus any full-moon free promotions for clusters (cost 0, not part of the drain)
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**Phase 3, dark nights 3 - 10 Aug (~1,130 pts):**
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- T8 SMC + 47 Tucanae in one frame, 3 h LRGB, ~390: the signature shot, SMC well
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placed in the second half of the SSO night by August
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- T8 or T59 Large Magellanic Cloud attempt if it clears the elevation limits late
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in the window; otherwise Tarantula on T32, 2 h, ~292
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- Remainder (~450): best-of list: repeat the strongest target for more depth, or
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Chile scopes (T71 106/hr, T73 224/hr) if they return from maintenance: Tarantula
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and NGC 1313 preferred. Aim to land the balance under ~50 points.
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## Booked reservations (all with plan attached + reschedule flag)
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| ID | Scope | Night of (SSO/obs local) | Slot | Plan | Est. pts | Status (2026-07-20) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 749227 | T59 | 19 Jul | 00:05-03:45 | ngc6744-t59.txt | ~240 | COMPLETED, billed 381 |
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| 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) |
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| 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 | EXPIRED unused (no run, no auto-reschedule) |
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| 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) | still booked |
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| 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 |
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| (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 |
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| (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 |
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| 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) |
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The T33 first-light test is now on its THIRD booking (749314); the two prior free
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reservations expired unused. If this one also fails to run, the problem is not the
|
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booking but the auto-start on free scopes: escalate to walk-in (POST plan.asp per
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plans/README.md) or drop the free-imaging objective.
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## Booking queue (blocked by the rolling 8-hour reservation allowance)
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Book in order as quota frees (a session completing releases its hours). Exact
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New.aspx parameters; all plans already uploaded and verified on their scopes.
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Verify every booking via Edit.aspx?id= probing (sequential ids), NOT the grid.
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| # | Scope id | start | end | start sel | end sel | Plan | Est. pts |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 3 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-25T20:35:00 | 2026-07-25T23:55:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:55 PM | ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt | ~120 (disc.) |
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| 4 | GRAS059 | 2026-07-27T20:35:00 | 2026-07-27T23:05:00 | 8:35 PM | 11:05 PM | ngc6188-sii-t59.txt | ~90 (disc.) |
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| 5 | GRAS008 | 2026-08-08T02:35:00 | 2026-08-08T06:05:00 | 2:35 AM | 6:05 AM | smc47tuc-t8.txt | ~390 |
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| 6 | GRAS032 | 2026-08-09T03:05:00 | 2026-08-09T06:05:00 | 3:05 AM | 6:05 AM | tarantula-t32.txt | ~365 |
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| 7 | (T70, blocked: server unreachable) | night TBD before 5 Aug | ~2.5h | | | scorpius-t70.txt (in scratch, re-upload needed) | ~238 |
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| 8 | WITHDRAWN: booked then cancelled 2026-07-21, premise was wrong (see below) | | | | | hdrcore-t32.txt | 0 |
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### CORRECTION (2026-07-21): the Cen A nucleus was never saturated
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An earlier entry here claimed the 21 Jul Cen A data came back with a saturated
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nucleus, and booked a short-exposure core set on that basis. **The claim was
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wrong and the booking has been cancelled without running, at a cost of zero
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points.**
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The 65313 ADU figure came from taking the maximum pixel inside a 300 x 300 px
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box centred on the frame. That measures the brightest thing near the middle of
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the image, which is not the same as measuring the galaxy: it was a foreground
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star 128 px (69 arcsec) from the nucleus, sitting inside the box. Median
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filtering the inner 800 x 800 px to remove stars leaves the galaxy peaking at
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**1944 ADU**, about a thirtieth of the clip level, with **not one star-free
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pixel above 30000 ADU**. The core looked blown in the first processed image
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because of the display stretch, whose white point was set by field stars, and
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re-rendering the same data with a second tone curve scaled to the galaxy
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recovered it fully.
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**The habit that IS worth keeping, in corrected form:** before booking extra
|
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time to fix a saturated core, *measure whether it is saturated* - median-filter
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the inner region to remove stars first, and check where the frame's bright
|
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pixels actually are. The check costs a minute. 47 Tuc and the SMC (queue #5)
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||||
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.
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### Session 2026-07-21 ~08:55 UTC (booking round run early, before Cen A ran)
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Done this session: free T33 47 Tuc retry booked as 749314 (grid-verified). NOT
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done, both correctly deferred:
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- **Cen A verify**: 749302 had not run yet (starts 08:50 UTC, this session ran at
|
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08:48). Verify after 11:50 UTC.
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- **cra-t8 (#2)**: blocked twice over. (1) Quota: Cen A holds 3h until it
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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
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T8 00:25-02:25 SSO local (res 749207), overlapping our planned 01:35-04:35.
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**cra-t8 resolution options** (pick with a live grid re-check when quota frees):
|
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- (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
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22 Jul SSO), same clock time, avoids hajo, keeps decent altitude. Re-check that
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night's T8 grid first. One night's slip is fine inside the drain window.
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- (c) Earlier slot 21:25-00:25 (before hajo) is astronomically best but starts
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11:25 UTC, before Cen A releases quota at 11:50; not bookable in time.
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The scheduled 12:13 UTC job (ae3af497) fires after Cen A completes: it should
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verify Cen A + bill, then book cra-t8 by option (b) unless the grid has changed
|
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(hajo may cancel, opening option (a)/original). At corrected (x1.6) rates the
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full remaining queue runs ~2,530 vs 2,257 balance (~270 over): once actual bills
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for Cen A and CrA land, trim Phase 3 (shorten Tarantula #6 or the SMC slot)
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to land the balance near zero.
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### Session 2026-07-21 ~11:40 UTC (Cen A verify + cra-t8 booked)
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Ran ahead of the 12:13 UTC scheduled job, after Cen A had finished at 11:16 UTC.
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- **Cen A verified**: completed, billed 160, NGC5128 images on the scope server.
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Ledger and rate model updated (the x1.6 model is withdrawn: see the rate
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correction above).
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- **cra-t8 booked**, but on a better slot than the deferred option (b). Probing
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New.aspx for the original 01:35-04:35 returned "Conflicting reservation. Start
|
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time must be later than 2:25 AM" (hajo, as predicted), confirming that option
|
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(a) was all that remained on the night of 21 Jul, and it puts Corona Australis
|
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3.5-6.5 h past the meridian. Instead the run went to the EVENING of the next
|
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night: **2026-07-22T21:45 - 2026-07-23T00:45 SSO local**, which brackets the
|
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~22:30 culmination, so the whole 115 min of imaging happens near the zenith.
|
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This is option (c)'s geometry on option (b)'s night; the reason (c) was
|
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unbookable earlier (quota held by Cen A) had expired by the time Cen A
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completed. Grid probing showed no conflict on either side of the slot.
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Verified in Reservation/MySummary.aspx; quota now 6:50 / 8:00.
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- Moon on the night of 22 Jul is ~57% illuminated, the last usable night before
|
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the bright-week narrowband phase. LRGB on a dust complex under a half moon is
|
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a compromise, but the alternative is slipping a Phase 1 broadband target into
|
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the bright week, which is worse.
|
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- Reservation id NOT captured: the confirm response carries only
|
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`ModalStatic.result("OK")` and MySummary does not print ids. Nothing depends
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on the id unless the booking must be edited or deleted, in which case find it
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by probing Edit.aspx?id= around the current sequence (749314 was issued
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~08:55 UTC on 21 Jul).
|
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- Budget: 2,097 left, 19 nights to 10 Aug. Remaining queue at card rates is
|
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roughly 1,300, which UNDER-spends by ~800. With the x1.6 model withdrawn, the
|
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next planning session should add work rather than trim it: candidates are a
|
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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
|
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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
|
||||
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.**
|
||||
|
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## Operational notes
|
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|
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- 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
|
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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.
|
||||
- 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.
|
||||
11
CLAUDE.md
11
CLAUDE.md
|
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@ -1,14 +1,3 @@
|
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> [!IMPORTANT]
|
||||
> **This repository has moved.** Since 2026-07-21 it lives on as the
|
||||
> `itelescope/` directory of
|
||||
> **[astrophotography](https://git.discworld.casa/laurence/astrophotography)**,
|
||||
> merged with the processing pipeline. Both histories were preserved.
|
||||
>
|
||||
> **Do new work there, not here.** This copy is kept read-only-in-spirit until
|
||||
> the drain campaign closes (10-12 Aug 2026), because sessions are running most
|
||||
> nights and nothing should break mid-campaign. Anything committed here after
|
||||
> the merge will be stranded.
|
||||
|
||||
# Default Workflow
|
||||
|
||||
This file is the entry point for any Claude Code session working under the Default
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
13
README.md
13
README.md
|
|
@ -1,14 +1,3 @@
|
|||
> [!IMPORTANT]
|
||||
> **This repository has moved.** Since 2026-07-21 it lives on as the
|
||||
> `itelescope/` directory of
|
||||
> **[astrophotography](https://git.discworld.casa/laurence/astrophotography)**,
|
||||
> merged with the processing pipeline. Both histories were preserved.
|
||||
>
|
||||
> **Do new work there, not here.** This copy is kept read-only-in-spirit until
|
||||
> the drain campaign closes (10-12 Aug 2026), because sessions are running most
|
||||
> nights and nothing should break mid-campaign. Anything committed here after
|
||||
> the merge will be stranded.
|
||||
|
||||
# itelescope
|
||||
|
||||
Reference and review of the [iTelescope.net](https://www.itelescope.net/) remote
|
||||
|
|
@ -17,8 +6,6 @@ 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.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
155
TARGETS.md
155
TARGETS.md
|
|
@ -1,155 +0,0 @@
|
|||
# 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.
|
||||
|
||||
## 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
|
||||
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.
|
||||
100
plans/README.md
100
plans/README.md
|
|
@ -1,100 +0,0 @@
|
|||
# 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:
|
||||
`Name<TAB>RA_decimal_hours<TAB>Dec_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\<file>`.
|
||||
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).
|
||||
|
||||
## 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=<scope-id>&u=<username>` (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=<ISO local>&end=<ISO local>&r=<scope-id>` (times are OBSERVATORY
|
||||
LOCAL): (1) GET the form, (2) POST tokens + DropDownStartTime/DropDownEndTime
|
||||
(e.g. "12:05 AM"/"3:45 AM") + PlanToRunListBox=<plan file> + 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.
|
||||
|
||||
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
|
||||
timeslot on the first available night of the next 30 if the run does not happen.
|
||||
Delete/edit via Edit.aspx?id=<reservation id> from the grid.
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,17 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -1,12 +0,0 @@
|
|||
;
|
||||
; 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
|
||||
|
|
@ -10,71 +10,3 @@
|
|||
- 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.
|
||||
|
||||
## 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.
|
||||
|
||||
**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.
|
||||
|
||||
**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
|
||||
needed.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -8,11 +8,6 @@
|
|||
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,
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
@ -9,84 +9,13 @@
|
|||
- 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).
|
||||
|
||||
## 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.
|
||||
|
||||
## 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.
|
||||
|
||||
## 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), 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.
|
||||
- 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
|
||||
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). 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.
|
||||
- (nothing)
|
||||
|
||||
## 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.
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
Loading…
Add table
Add a link
Reference in a new issue