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99
CAMPAIGN.md
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99
CAMPAIGN.md
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@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
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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) | | first-light test; reservation 749228, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 20 Jul, auto-runs |
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| 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 |
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| 2026-07-20 | T33 | NGC 6752 | ngc6752.txt | 17 min | 0 (free) | | reservation 749229, 00:05-00:50 SSO local 21 Jul, auto-runs |
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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 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 749227 | T59 | 19 Jul | 00:05-03:45 | ngc6744-t59.txt | ~240 |
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| 749228 | T33 | 19 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc104-test.txt | 0 |
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| 749229 | T33 | 20 Jul | 00:05-00:50 | ngc6752.txt | 0 |
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| 749230 | T8 | 26 Jul | 21:35-23:55 | catspaw-t8.txt | ~146 (25% moon disc.) |
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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 | GRAS032 | 2026-07-21T00:35:00 | 2026-07-21T03:35:00 | 12:35 AM | 3:35 AM | cena-t32.txt | ~292 |
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| 2 | GRAS008 | 2026-07-22T01:35:00 | 2026-07-22T04:35:00 | 1:35 AM | 4:35 AM | 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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Substitution rules: if T71 returns to service, move #2 and #7 to T71 (faster
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f/2.8 optics, cheaper 106 pts/hr; re-cut the plans for 1.55"/px). If T70's
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server returns, book #7 as-is. Check the go.itelescope.net status line before
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each booking round. After #6, allocate the remaining balance (~450 pts) to a
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final deep session on the best-performing scope, sized to land under 50 pts.
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**10 Aug: verify balance is near zero, download ALL data from data.itelescope.net,
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then (with explicit user confirmation) cancel via MyAccount/Cancel.aspx.**
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## Operational notes
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- Sessions are now RESERVED, not walk-in: upload the plan to the scope, then book
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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
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reschedule flag retries weather losses. Claude sessions monitor rather than
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drive. T59 moon discount correction: 0% until 21 Jul, 25% from 22 Jul.
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- Cron jobs live only in an open Claude session; if a day's session has no live
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session to fire it, the user prompts "run today's drain session" and any session
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picks it up from this file plus state/TODO.md.
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- Bad-data protection: iTelescope refunds points for weather-ruined runs on
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request; check each session's images before marking the ledger final.
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- Final data sweep before cancellation: everything on data.itelescope.net AND the
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per-scope /images/qisback/ folders.
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@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ book for a given target.
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- **[TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md)**: the full review, grouped by observatory, with a
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- **[TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md)**: the full review, grouped by observatory, with a
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"choosing a telescope" guide at the end.
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"choosing a telescope" guide at the end.
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- **[TARGETS.md](TARGETS.md)**: southern-sky targets invisible from the UK, matched
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to scopes and to the time of year to book them.
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- **[data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)**: snapshot of
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- **[data/itelescope-telescopes.csv](data/itelescope-telescopes.csv)**: snapshot of
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the network's maintained specs sheet (source of truth for the numbers).
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the network's maintained specs sheet (source of truth for the numbers).
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- **state/**: project state under the Default Workflow.
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- **state/**: project state under the Default Workflow.
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155
TARGETS.md
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TARGETS.md
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# Southern targets: what the UK can never show you
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A target guide for imaging objects that are invisible (or hopeless) from the UK,
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using the southern half of the iTelescope network: Siding Spring, Australia (Q62)
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and Deep Sky Chile (X07). Companion to [TELESCOPES.md](TELESCOPES.md).
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## The visibility rule from the UK
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From latitude 51.5°N (southern England), an object's maximum altitude is
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`90° - 51.5° + declination`:
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- **Dec below about -38°: never rises.** These objects cannot be imaged from the UK
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at all, ever.
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- **Dec -25° to -38°: technically rises, practically hopeless.** Culminates under
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~15° altitude, buried in atmosphere and murk.
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- Dec -10° to -25°: imageable from the UK but always low and compromised; far better
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from the southern sites.
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Everything below is grouped by those tiers, then matched to scopes and to the time
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of year when it is best placed from the southern sites.
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## Tier 1: never visible from the UK (dec < -38°)
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### The Magellanic Clouds (the headline act)
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Large Magellanic Cloud | -69° | T8 | The whole LMC just fits T8's 4 x 4 degree field |
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| Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) | -69° | T73, T17 | Core detail; the finest emission nebula in either sky |
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| Small Magellanic Cloud + 47 Tucanae | -72° | T8 | Both in a single T8 frame, a unique composition |
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| 47 Tucanae (NGC 104) alone | -72° | T33 (free), T73 | Second-finest globular in the sky |
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### Carina and Crux region
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Eta Carinae Nebula (NGC 3372) | -59° | T71 | Fills T71's 2.7 x 1.8 degree field perfectly; narrowband showpiece |
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| Carina to Crux widefield | -60° | T70 | The richest stretch of the Milky Way in one 8-degree frame |
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| Southern Pleiades (IC 2602) | -64° | T71, T75 | Bright open cluster |
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| Running Chicken (IC 2944) | -63° | T71, T75 | Emission nebula with Bok globules |
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| Wishing Well Cluster (NGC 3532) | -58° | T71 | Reportedly the best open cluster in the sky |
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| Coalsack + Southern Cross | -60° | T70 | Dark nebula composition |
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### Centaurus and the southern globulars
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Omega Centauri (NGC 5139) | -47° | T59, T17 | The largest globular cluster known; needs the ~40 arcmin fields |
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| Centaurus A (NGC 5128) | -43° | T17, T32, T73 | Iconic dust-lane radio galaxy |
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| NGC 4945 | -49° | T73 | Big edge-on spiral, underimaged |
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| NGC 6752 (Pavo globular) | -60° | T33 (free) | Third-brightest globular |
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### Ara, Norma and the Scorpius tail
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Fighting Dragons of Ara (NGC 6188) | -49° | T71 | Dramatic narrowband target |
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| Prawn Nebula (IC 4628) | -40° | T71, T75 | Large, faint, great in Ha |
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| NGC 6231 + Table of Scorpius | -42° | T71 | Rich cluster region |
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### Far-southern galaxies
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| NGC 6744 (Pavo) | -63° | T73, T17 | Milky Way lookalike spiral |
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| NGC 1313 (Topsy-Turvy) | -66° | T73 | Distorted starburst spiral |
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| NGC 1566 (Spanish Dancer) | -55° | T73 | Grand-design face-on spiral |
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| NGC 2070 region galaxies | -69° | T17 | See Magellanic section |
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### Southern nebulae, supernova remnants and planetaries
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Vela SNR | -45° | T70 | Huge filamentary shell, needs the 8-degree field |
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| Gum Nebula | -43° | T70 | 36 degrees across; even T70 mosaics it |
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| Southern Ring (NGC 3132) | -40° | T73 | Small bright planetary |
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| Toby Jug Nebula (IC 2220) | -59° | T73 | Reflection nebula |
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## Tier 2: hopeless from the UK (dec -25° to -38°), excellent from the south
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| Target | Dec | Best scope | Notes |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Cat's Paw (NGC 6334) | -36° | T71 | Narrowband showpiece |
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| War and Peace (NGC 6357) | -34° | T71 | Pairs with the Cat's Paw in one T75 framing |
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| NGC 1365 (Great Barred Spiral) | -36° | T73, T17 | The archetypal barred spiral, Fornax |
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| Fornax cluster core | -35° | T17, T32 | Galaxy cluster field |
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| M83 (Southern Pinwheel) | -30° | T73, T17 | Face-on spiral, superb from Q62/X07 |
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| NGC 300 and NGC 55 (Sculptor) | -37°/-39° | T17, T75 | Nearby resolved spirals |
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| NGC 253 (Sculptor Galaxy) | -25° | T17, T32 | Huge dusty starburst, low and ruined from the UK |
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| Corona Australis dust complex | -37° | T71, T75 | Reflection nebula and dust river |
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## When to book what (from the southern sites)
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Seasons refer to what is well placed in the evening-to-midnight sky at Siding Spring
|
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and Deep Sky Chile. Siding Spring scopes have 30-35 degree minimum elevation limits,
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so aim within a few hours of culmination; T70 in Chile can go to the horizon.
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- **Jan-Mar:** Tarantula and the LMC, NGC 1313, Vela SNR and the Gum Nebula, Carina
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rising late evening.
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- **Apr-Jun:** Eta Carinae at its best, Crux and the Coalsack, Omega Centauri,
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Centaurus A, NGC 4945, the Musca dark nebulae.
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- **Jul-Sep (now):** the Scorpius tail and Ara at the zenith: Cat's Paw, War and
|
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Peace, Prawn, NGC 6188, NGC 6231; NGC 6744; Corona Australis; 47 Tucanae and the
|
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SMC in the second half of the night.
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- **Oct-Dec:** Magellanic Cloud prime time, 47 Tucanae, Sculptor galaxies (NGC 253,
|
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55, 300), Fornax cluster and NGC 1365, NGC 1566.
|
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## A sensible first campaign (July-August)
|
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|
|
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1. **Free warm-up on T33** (30 min/day, Siding Spring): 47 Tucanae or NGC 6752 in
|
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LRGB across a few nights. Costs nothing, learns the booking system.
|
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|
2. **T71 narrowband run** (Chile, f/2.8): NGC 6188 or the Cat's Paw + War and Peace
|
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region. Fast optics keep the bill down; use the standard 300 s calibrated subs.
|
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3. **T73 galaxy shot**: NGC 6744, currently well placed, as an LRGB target.
|
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4. **Book ahead for October-November:** T8 for the LMC (or SMC + 47 Tuc in one
|
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frame): the single most "you cannot do this from the UK" image on the network.
|
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|
||||||
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## Budgeting a points balance
|
||||||
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|
||||||
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Published rate shape (from itelescope.net/standard-plans, 2026-07): affordable
|
||||||
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scopes roughly $19-54 per imaging hour, premium scopes roughly $54-118 per hour,
|
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where the range is the moon-phase discount (dark of moon at the top of the range,
|
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bright moon at the bottom) and the plan discount (10% on Plan-40, 20% on Plan-90).
|
||||||
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Exact per-scope, per-night rates are shown in the login portal's planner; treat the
|
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numbers below as planning estimates, not quotes.
|
||||||
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|
||||||
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What a ~2,600 point balance buys, roughly:
|
||||||
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|
||||||
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- **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.
|
||||||
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- **An LRGB galaxy on T73 or T17:** wants dark-of-moon time at premium-scope rates;
|
||||||
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3-4 hours, roughly 300-500 points per target.
|
||||||
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- **The T8 Magellanic Cloud shot:** 2-3 hours LRGB at a mid-range rate, roughly
|
||||||
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200-350 points.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
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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.
|
||||||
91
plans/README.md
Normal file
91
plans/README.md
Normal file
|
|
@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
|
||||||
|
# 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.
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
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.
|
||||||
12
plans/catspaw-t8.txt
Normal file
12
plans/catspaw-t8.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/cena-t32.txt
Normal file
12
plans/cena-t32.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/cra-t8.txt
Normal file
12
plans/cra-t8.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/ngc104-test.txt
Normal file
12
plans/ngc104-test.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt
Normal file
12
plans/ngc6188-haoiii-t59.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt
Normal file
12
plans/ngc6188-sii-t59.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
13
plans/ngc6744-t59.txt
Normal file
13
plans/ngc6744-t59.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/ngc6752.txt
Normal file
12
plans/ngc6752.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/scorpius-t70.txt
Normal file
12
plans/scorpius-t70.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt
Normal file
12
plans/smc47tuc-t8.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
12
plans/tarantula-t32.txt
Normal file
12
plans/tarantula-t32.txt
Normal file
|
|
@ -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
|
||||||
|
|
@ -10,3 +10,49 @@
|
||||||
- Sensors are 16-bit ADC unless noted (T20's ASI2400C is 14-bit).
|
- Sensors are 16-bit ADC unless noted (T20's ASI2400C is 14-bit).
|
||||||
- Free scopes (30 min/day): T68 (Utah), T33 (Siding Spring).
|
- Free scopes (30 min/day): T68 (Utah), T33 (Siding Spring).
|
||||||
- Minimum elevation limits come from the support article, not the sheet.
|
- 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.
|
||||||
|
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.
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -8,6 +8,11 @@
|
||||||
A reference and review of the iTelescope.net remote telescope network: what each
|
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.
|
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
|
## Scope
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
- In scope: reviews and spec tables for every telescope on the iTelescope network,
|
- In scope: reviews and spec tables for every telescope on the iTelescope network,
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
@ -9,13 +9,38 @@
|
||||||
- 2026-07-17: specs sheet snapshotted to data/itelescope-telescopes.csv (24 scopes).
|
- 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
|
- 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).
|
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
|
## 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.
|
||||||
|
- 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.
|
||||||
|
- 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
|
## 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.
|
- Fill in T74 when iTelescope publishes its specs.
|
||||||
- Reconcile the retired scopes (T9, T19, T31, T69): the support article still lists
|
- 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.
|
them but the maintained sheet does not; confirm status and note it.
|
||||||
|
|
|
||||||
Loading…
Add table
Add a link
Reference in a new issue