Tag: 2013A

Comm2 Day -3: moving the primary

The Clay telescope’s 6.5m primary mirror is getting a bath tomorrow. So today it was lowered out of the telescope, and moved into the aux. building. Not something you see everyday.

The 6.5m honeycomb mirror, inside its cell (the white cylinder), after being lowered onto its cart.
The surface of the mirror. This picture is normally almost impossible to take.
Here the mirror is making the journey into the aux.

Alan and Tyson did some guider housekeeping today, covering up some pesky LEDs. I turned the W-Unit on and made sure everything still works. No problems!

Vizzy definitely knows when he/she gets noticed and is having a picture taken.
Waiting for the sunset.
The view off the back of the mountain, right at sunset. It was cloudy all day, but it is clearing up tonight.
Our nightly sunset.

Comm2 Day -4: again back again

The “advance team” arrived at LCO today to begin preparations for MagAO commissioning run #2. Alan, Tyson, and Jared made the long overnight journey from the USA, accompanied by Povilas and Mark Phillips who were returning from the Magellan SAC meeting.

Tyson getting recharged in Santiago.
The first part of the road has been freshly paved. The rest of the way is . . . still bumpy.

After a delicious LCO supper I went up and looked everything over. Here are some of the important things I checked:

Vizzy watched the sunset with me.
Our frisbee was still in its hiding spot. Need a few more players though.
Our various caches of gear are still in place.

And of course, I took a stroll around the mountain to see how things are without us.

Andrew Carnegie, ladies and gentlemen.
Posted without comment.
To decrease plastic water bottle waste, you now get one of these nice Al bottles when you show up, and there are filling stations everywhere.
No MagAO @ LCO post is complete without a sunset from the catwalk.
I don't see the comet.
That's moonlight on Baade. That's Betelgeuse above and left of Clay.