Night Log 2015-12-16

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Enrico

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On this day of Reconciliation we celebrate our shared journey as a diverse South African nation, dedicated to overcoming the divisions of our past and to building a future in which we all can thrive.

Non-photometric night with relatively decent seeing.

Data taken for:

2015-2-SCI-040 P0 RSS (SALT ToO observation)
2015-2-SCI-045 P1 HRS (Radial velocity study of gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 )
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Study of the evolution of lenticular galaxies.)
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (x3) (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-029 P3 RSS (x3) (Spectroscopy of Kepler K2 White Dwarfs)

Night Log 2015-12-15

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Enrico, Marissa and Thabelo.

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The seeing was good tonight, although there was a lot of thin cirrus about and the humidity forced us to close at 2am.
We didn't have RSS tonight due to a problem with the slitmask magazine, so science data for:

2015-2-SCI-038 P2 HRS (Study of evolution in outflows from outburst)
2015-2-SCI-044 P3 HRS (Confirm the first detection of pulsations in a K dwarf star )
2015-2-SCI-016 P3 HRS (x3) (Investigation of variability of absorption lines due to ISM towards vela SNR. )

Night Log 2015-12-14

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Timmy, Jonathan, Keith, Thabelo. Hitesh remotely.

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Dark night with some thin cloud around most of the time. A few technical issues and science data for:

2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-045 P1 HRS (Radial velocity study of gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 )
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-041 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic classification of candidate magnetic cataclysmic variables in the CRTS)
2015-2-SCI-032 P2 RSS (Multi-object spectra of known Halpha emission line stars in Trumpler 14.)
2015-2-SCI-033 P2 SCAM (Observations of Dwarf Novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud)

Night Log 2015-12-13

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Cloudy then humid tonight. Attempted two science blocks but only accepted one of them for:

2015-2-SCI-029 P3 RSS (Spectroscopy of Kepler K2 White Dwarfs)

(and even that one may not be good enough!)

Night Log 2015-12-12

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Simon W.

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Too humid tonight - could not open. Took some close dome calibrations and ran a few engineering tests instead.

Night Log 2015-12-11

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Ana, Liam, Simon W. and Steve. Timmy and Hitesh for the alignment troubles.

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Dark night with very variable seeing (from sub-arcsecond to silly) and thin cloud. Technical problems at the beginning of the night with the mirror alignment system and high relative humidity at the end of the night cut our short summer night a bit shorter. Obtained science data for:

2015-2-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Unraveling ring galaxies)
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-038 P2 HRS (Study of evolution in outflows from outburst)

Night Log 2015-12-10

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Ana, Liam, Simon W. Timmy and Thabelo to help with a wayward mirror segment.

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Another dark, clear night with sub-arcsecond seeing - we could get used to this! :)

We had a slow start due to a technical problem but the rest of the night was pretty much smooth sailing. We took our first block for RSS polarimetry science verification and science data for:

2015-2-SCI-061 P0 RSS (x2) (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their spectral properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-SCI-026 P1 RSS (Probing the time variability of QSO absorption line)
2015-2-SCI-033 P1 SCAM (Observations of Dwarf Novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud)
2015-2-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Study of the evolution of lenticular galaxies.)
2015-2-SCI-041 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic classification of candidate magnetic cataclysmic variables in the CRTS)

Night Log 2015-12-09

SA: Encarni
SO: Veronica
Others: Ana, Liam, Stephen and Simon W. Thabelo for a quick hello. :)

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Dark, clear night with decent seeing - even sub-arcsecond at times. No technical problems. Science data for:

2015-2-SCI-061 P0 RSS (x2) (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their spectral properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-SCI-026 P1 RSS (Probing the time variability of QSO absorption line)
2015-2-SCI-033 P1 SCAM (Observations of Dwarf Novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud)
2015-2-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Study of the evolution of lenticular galaxies.)
2015-2-SCI-041 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic classification of candidate magnetic cataclysmic variables in the CRTS)

Night Log 2015-12-08

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Encarni, Christian, Veronica, Simon W.

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Another excellent and productive night, great seeing and clear all along.
Lost a mere 10 mins for a minor problem, otherwise was just chugging
through the night taking data for:

2015-2-SCI-045 P1 HRS (Radial velocity study of gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 )
2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (x2) (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-035 P1 RSS (Identifying new ultracompact binary star systems through their spectral characteristics)
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-SCI-060 P1 RSS (Study of OVI emissions as a function of optical brightness state in two SSS.)
2015-2-SCI-030 P2 RSS (Searching for high redshift quasars for the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS))
2015-2-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Study of the evolution of lenticular galaxies.)

Night Log 2015-12-07

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Simon F., Simon W., Sami Sillanpaa

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The night started out very cloudy, we got going around 10.30pm, and even
then only with bright stars. But it then cleared up after midnight, and the
seeing was good all along. Minimal technical downtime. Science for:

2015-2-SCI-017 P1 SCAM (Dark energy and the expansion rate of the Universe from quasar monitoring.)
2015-2-SCI-018 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds)
2015-2-SCI-046 P2 RSS (A spectral study on low-mass T Tauri stars in the high mass star forming regions RCW 34 and NGC 2626)
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (x2) (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-022 P3 RSS (Spectroscopy of early-type barred disk galaxies to investigate an ansae phenomena.)
2015-2-SCI-007 P3 RSS (x2) (Spectroscopic classification of pulsating stars. )

Night Log 2015-12-06

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Simon W.

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And another great night. Clear, dark, mostly good seeing, humidity gave
a scare by rising to closing limit at 2am, but then dropped back. No time
lost whatsoever. Engineering time spent on polarimetry again, and many
science blocks done:

2015-1-COM-002 P0 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2015-2-SCI-045 P1 HRS (Radial velocity study of gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 )
2015-2-SCI-018 P1 HRS (x2) (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds)
2015-2-SCI-052 P1 RSS (x2) (Detecting star forming galaxies in two distant, massive galaxy clusters.)
2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-033 P1 SCAM (Observations of Dwarf Novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud)

Night Log 2015-12-05

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Hitesh, Dan McIntosh, Simon Westerlund

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Night started with bad seeing, but the latter part saw even sub-arcsec
values. Dark and clear for most of the night as well, with no technical
problems. Thus, very productive, got some spectropolarimetry on-sky
commissioning done together with many science blocks:

2015-1-COM-002 P0 RSS (x2) (Polarimetry test proposal)
2015-2-SCI-061 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their spectral properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-2-SCI-045 P1 HRS (Radial velocity study of gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856 )
2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-018 P1 HRS (Evolved binaries in the Magellanic Clouds)
2015-2-SCI-052 P1 RSS (x2) (Detecting star forming galaxies in two distant, massive galaxy clusters.)

Happy 98th Independence Day Finland!

Night Log 2015-12-04

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Lisa, Thea, David

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Reasonably good night, dark and clear. However, seeing started out
horribly bad, though got better later. Couple of sudden humidity and
temperature jumps ruined alignments and at least one observation.
Eventually had to close due to humidity 1.5h before twilight. Data for:
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Unraveling ring galaxies)
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-056 P3 HRS (Tracing the chemical history of our galaxy)
2015-2-SCI-022 P3 RSS (Spectroscopy of early-type barred disk galaxies to investigate an ansae phenomena.)
2015-2-SCI-049 P4 RSS (Monitoring the X-ray bright sgB[e] stars in Magellanic Clouds)

A stunning night in Sutherland!

Summer's well on its way so we've had a few really gorgeous nights during the past week!  While observing dwarf novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud last night, Petri & Fred snagged a set of images through 3 of the Sloan filters (u, g & r).  Combining these has produced one of SALT's most beautiful colour-composite images to date.  The combination of 1" seeing & a freshly stacked primary shows what the telescope's capable of under good conditions.  If only Darragh could see this kind of image quality!

A SALTICAM view of the Large Magellanic Cloud, through Sloan u, g & r filters

Night Log 2015-12-03

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul

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A very productive clear night with great seeing, between 1 and 1.5" for most
of the time. Stable temperatures, and no other difficulties either. Lots of
high priority science done for such a short summer night. Data for:

2015-2-SCI-040 P0 RSS (SALT ToO observation, Magellanic Be X-ray binaries)
2015-1-MLT-002 P0 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far.)
2015-2-SCI-061 P0 RSS (SALT follow-up of type Ia supernovae to study their spectral properties at targeted redshifts)
2015-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Characterising Strong Gravitational Lensing systems)
2015-2-SCI-033 P1 SCAM (Observations of Dwarf Novae in the Large Magellanic Cloud)
2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (x2) (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-030 P1 RSS (x2) (Searching for high redshift quasars for the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS))

Night Log 2015-12-02

SA: Petri
SO: Fred
Others: Paul, Simon, Hitesh, Thea

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Spent time doing engineering work in the beginning, under cirrusy clouds,
after which we were able to squeeze in two science observations before
humidity rose too high around mid-night. Data for:
2015-2-SCI-048 P1 RSS (DIBs towards the Red Rectangle)
2015-2-SCI-007 P3 RSS (Spectroscopic classification of pulsating stars. )

Night Log 2015-12-01

SA: Paul
SO: Thea
Others: Petri, Fred

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- Cloudy weather prevented us from obtaining any data tonight.

Night Log 2015-11-30

SA: Paul
SO: Thea
Others:

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- Had a very productive night in good weather conditions. Some technical issues crept in at the end of the night.

- Obtained data for the following programs:

2015-2-MLT-003 P1 RSS (Redshift measurements of distant massive ACT galaxy clusters)
2015-2-SCI-024 P1 RSS (Fabry-Perot observations to trace the narrow line regions in nearby Seyfert 2s)
2015-2-SCI-036 P2 RSS (Spectrophotometry of Magellanic symbiotic stars)
2015-2-SCI-019 P2 RSS (Searching for binaries in unusual central stars of planetary nebulae )
2015-2-SCI-030 P2 RSS (Searching for high redshift quasars for the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS))
2015-2-SCI-059 P3 RSS (RESOLVE survey kinematics observations)