MagAO-eXtreme Posts

Does it dry up like puddles in a dome floor?Or fester like astronomers on night schedules with nothing to do?Does it stink like the Atacama desert in the rain?Or crust and sugar over like flan in the LCO dining room fridge?Maybe it just sags like Gabriele’s shoulders?Or does it explode? The rain has stopped and the ...

This is my seventh trip to Las Campanas Observatory (I think?) and the first time I’ve seen actual, bona-fide precipitation in the Atacama desert. I woke up at 2pm to the gentle patter of rain on my windows, and emerged blinking into daylight. I did try to document it with my phone, but in my ...

I was home in Tucson for about 5 minutes after the last run. So I only managed to get all of my laundry done all at once just in time to pack for this trip. Upon doing so, I discovered that I was missing some socks. This happens to all of us, ...

There were new faces this time so I am going to introduce myself. I am Carla the youngest Magellan operator eh eh. For now at least. My week with you guys started on Monday, when I realized you are at the mountain and thinking about the treat I am going to get you this time. ...

This week could have gone better: Delayed and missed flights, fog, clouds, bad seeing, and I got a head cold. New at LCO this trip: no Covid test on arrival. In case you’re wondering, I brought my own, and I don’t have Covid. Last night, I turned the super fancy MagAO-X system with its three ...

Thank you for tuning in for “Eden’s screenshots of the firewalled LCO weather page.” Bright eyed enthusiam coming to you straight from the AO operator desk. I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is that we are open! The bad news? The seeing is just on the edge of usable. ...

And there was light. After 3 tortuous days with nothing to look at but an internal source, we *finally* opened for business. However, as a member of the 2nd observing shift, I was MIA during this time. The below meme described my state of mind in the hours leading up to my shift: A mood. While I ...

Greetings from the downstairs lounge, where you can see exactly as many stars as upstairs. That’s right: it’s another cloudy evening here at Las Campanas Observatory, but one ray of bright starshine has broken through: Dr. Alycia Weinberger! She had to spend a night in Miami, and another night in Santiago, but she has finally ...

Like that classic painting, LCO took on some majesty and wonder today as the valley filled with clouds to compliment the cloud-covered skies. Ominous It creeps up the mountain Which gave way to another great sunset Which gave way to another set of sad astronomers. Jay was eager to hit his disk target right away, but clouds are ...

For the first time ever, an adaptive optics system at Las Campanas Observatory was installed without the guidance of Professor Laird Close! Laird is back in Tucson supporting his daughter at her high school graduation (congrats Annabel!) This means I got to fill in for my advisor as optomechanical lead on MagAO-X, and align the ...