The weather has taken a turn for the worse at LCO. It is currently 1.8C and blowing at 32.7 mph. And getting colder.
Speaking of cold, we installed the new liquid cooling system in the W-Unit today.
![Here, hold this.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/jared_laird_cooling.jpg)
![This again?](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/jason_shutter.jpg)
![My Precious.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/jared_checking_shutter.jpg)
![News team, assemble!](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nas_work.jpg)
![A real Viscacha nest.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/New_cooling_lines1.jpg)
![Hold your breath.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/new_cooling_lines_under_pressure1.jpg)
The other big accomplishment in world of the NAS today was Laird installing the Telecentric Lens. This almost flat lens lets us work off-axis, away from the guide star.
![Shiny](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/telecentric_small_11.jpg)
![See the tele center?](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/telecentric_small_2.jpg)
![A happy AO operator . . .](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/snapshot1_small.png)
We also got some time in the dome, and did a little work on the Clay telescope. The vane-end trays are installed, and the leak preventing solenoid valve was plumbed and tested.
![High up.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/jason_juan.jpg)
![Don't drop anything.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/vane.jpg)
This hawk was hanging out over the observatory at lunch today.
![Hawkish](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/hawk1.jpg)
Tonight’s pretty pictures are from Alan Uomoto, who spent some time messing with his camera’s settings today.
![Pretty, unless you're an astronomer.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/sky.jpg)
![Magellan casts a wide shadow.](/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pano.jpg)
Days without a motherboard failure: 2