Author: Jared Males

We seem to have more problems on *our* nights than on any others. I guess that’s a great customer service policy, but we’re really in this to do our own science. So, the X stage is dead (again) and it says “Morzinski” on the schedule. We spent the first half of the night fairly desperately trying to get the motor to move to just the right spot so that we could take our observations. The problem is the optical encoder (we think — if you’re keeping track that’s about the 11th explanation we’ve come up with). This means the motor doesn’t know where it is, so I spent 3 hours out on the platform pressing “go” and the “stop” as fast as I could to try to get it to hop to the right spot.

It finally landed exactly where we want it, and it is now turned off never to be turned on again. Or at least until we can safely troubleshoot it. For now, we are in a scientifically productive state and we’re leaving it there.

Here’s some more Amazing Grace.

Sigh. And also, our X stage started doing that thing again tonight. Laird, we may have to have one of our wonderful cable routing bonding sessions. You know, the kind where I hold the flashlight for 5 hours while you talk to yourself with your head inside the instrument. I can’t wait.

Since we had clouds, I bailed on the control room and went down to the astronomer’s lounge. Much comfy.

Here’s another Clint Black song. It also describes TJ’s last couple of nights.

After that horrible beginning, we’ve now had a solid run of clear calm skies. Almost relaxing. This is Day 14, and it’s also blog post #360. Did we come back around yet?

Last night we had some fun with a surprise binary. This is at H-alpha:

One of the clean room Vizcachas is still around. We just saw he/she for the first time a few days ago. Pretty skittish so far, maybe it’s a new tenant.

Toto blessed the rain, and Clint Black likes it now.

I’ve seen Clint live, great show.

Now that our engineering time is over — without us getting to do any engineering — it of course was a fairly clear night. Still some clouds blowing around, but the kind we can burn through with a 6.5 m telescope. Since we haven’t had much time to shake down MagAO, our first group of visiting observers had to put up with some bugs and some calibrations.

Laird left, on his way back to Tucson. But he’s been replaced by Amali Vaz from UA, who is a very experienced AO operator and all around big help. She’s here for the next week to help us run the system, and also to foster some cross-team knowledge between MagAO and LBTI.

The next two pictures were taken at the same time.

Last night Michael Franti was shouting to his Papa. Tonight, J-Lo sings about her Papi.

Open for less than 1/2 an hour tonight. I can’t work like this.

Since we had a flash mob last night, here’s a song about people dancing in the streets. It also describes our cloud problem.