MAPS Sep. 2023B Night 5: Wrapping up our first run of 2023B

The full moon is waning and that’s a wrap on the first MAPS run of 2023B! We have 3 more runs, on the full moons in October, November, and January.

On this run we successfully closed the loop with our new software algorithms, which required taking new timing data and calibrations. We also got offloading within the loop working, and made progress on our other goals. (I made an executive decision to redo how I was numbering the nights, so careful blog readers may notice I edited the night numbers in the previous blog posts, since when I was writing our telescope proposal for next semester I realized it was overly confusing to try to keep the Arizona nights separate from the MMT nights.)

Grant crosses off our top goal for this run: offloading tip/tilt to the mount! [Image description: An astroengineer writes on a white board. On the white board are the Run Goals and the Tonight Goals — one can read a few words such as Alignment, Pisces, Mount, Hexapod, Pupil, Interaction Matrix, Close Loop.]

Taking a 50-modes calibration. [Image description: GUIs and displays showing the real-time pyramid pupils, integrated/averaged pyramid pupils, ASM commands, slopes, ]

Manny made cookies!

[Image description: In the telescope control room, Robin offers a plate of cookies to the photographer. Amali and Katie strategize ASM tricks in the background.]

[Image description: Manny is very happy to cut open the watermelon!]

Thanks everyone — run report to come.

Song of the day: Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti \& Spearhead

[Median description: High energy, joyful, rhythmic song with scenes of the people of Brazil.]