Night Log 2018-04-29

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Itumeleng (driving second half of evening), Rajin (driving first half of evening), David de Bruyn, Enrico

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Summary
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Clear night with average seeing.

Science data taken for:
2017-1-MLT-002 P0 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far.)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-SCI-014 P1 RSS (x3) (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-1-MLT-010 P1 HRS (x2) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2016-2-LSP-001 P2 HRS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-1-MLT-001 P3 HRS (Study of long-period eclipsing binaries)
2017-2-SCI-007 P4 HRS (Searching for heavy-metal subdwarfs and extreme-helium stars. )
2017-2-SCI-029 P4 HRS (x3) (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2017-2-SCI-020 P4 RSS (Looking at chromospheric emission in stars which host exoplanets)
2017-2-SCI-022 P4 HRS (x4) (Measuring the interstellar abundance of lithium in the Large Magellanic Cloud)
2017-2-SCI-041 P4 HRS (A homogeneous sample of RR Lyrae)

Night Log 2018-04-28

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Itumeleng (Diving first half of the night), Rajin (Driving second half of the night), Enrico

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Summary
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A very busy and productive evening despite a few clouds.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-SCI-014 P0 RSS (x3) (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-1-MLT-010 P1 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-1-MLT-001 P2 HRS (Study of long-period eclipsing binaries)
2017-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (Observations of supernovae, near and far.)
2017-2-SCI-021 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic investigation of selected southern lambda Boo - type stars)
2017-2-SCI-029 P4 HRS (x4) (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2017-1-MLT-005 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic investigations of Cepheids and stars belonging to open clusters and associations)
2017-2-SCI-007 P4 HRS (Searching for heavy-metal subdwarfs and extreme-helium stars. )
2017-2-SCI-020 P4 RSS (x4) (Looking at chromospheric emission in stars which host exoplanets)

Night Log 2018-04-27

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Itumeleng (Driving), Rajin (Driving), Enrico. Visitors: Keith & Doogle, Kevin, Carolina, Xavier & Cryspian.

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Summary
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Happy Freedom day!

A mostly clear night was put to good use until ridge cloud cut it short just after 1 a.m.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-005 P0 RSS (Constraining the nature of SN Ia progenitors. @_sublunar_)
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (x2) (Polarimetry test proposal)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-SCI-014 P2 RSS (x2) (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-1-MLT-010 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2017-2-SCI-010 P4 RSS (Characterising Pulsating Stars @dlhwp)
2017-2-SCI-041 P4 HRS (A homogeneous sample of RR Lyrae)

Night Log 2018-04-26

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Itumeleng & Rajin (in training), Enrico

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Summary
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A cold front (complete with rain) moved through today, leaving us with clouds and high humidity until we could open around 3:00 a.m. to take some science data.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-005 P0 RSS (Constraining the nature of SN Ia progenitors. @_sublunar_)
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-SCI-045 P1 RSS (Confirmation and redshift determination of galaxy clusters.)
2017-2-SCI-038 P2 RSS (Population study of stellar rotation rates in open clusters)

Night Log 2018-04-25

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Itumeleng & Rajin (in training), Deneys, Enrico

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Summary
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Cloudy night with high wind and high humidity, but we managed to get some very high priority science done.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-005 P0 RSS (x2) (Constraining the nature of SN Ia progenitors. @_sublunar_)
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-SCI-045 P1 RSS (Confirmation and redshift determination of galaxy clusters.)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-1-MLT-001 P3 HRS (Study of long-period eclipsing binaries)

Night Log 2018-04-24

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Itumaleng & Rajin (in training), Deneys, Stephen H, Enrico, Thea (handover), Amanda & Hitesh (for very short visit)

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Summary
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Guider commissioning continued in good seeing with some thin clouds. Several high priority observations completed successfully.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 HRS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-SCI-014 P0 RSS (x2) (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-SCI-042 P3 RSS (The central molecular zones of southern galaxies)

Night Log 2018-04-23

SA: Petri
SO: Veronica
Others: Stephen, Deneys, Marissa, Enrico

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Summary
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Science and a bit of engineering was done until around 11pm when high humidity
broke a series of 4 excellent nights of observing.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-1-MLT-010 P1 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2017-1-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far.)
2017-2-SCI-042 P3 RSS (The central molecular zones of southern galaxies)
2017-2-SCI-010 P4 RSS (Characterising Pulsating Stars @dlhwp)

Night Log 2018-04-22

SA: Petri
SO: Veronica
Others: Stephen, Deneys. Jonathan in the wee hours

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Summary
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A successful full night once again, sub-arcsec seeing all the way, though sky
was covered with thin cirrus most of the night. First full night of RSS observations
while still tweaking and learning to use the new guider.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 RSS (x2) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-SCI-056 P1 RSS (Measuring Galaxy Kinematics For Construction of the Velocity Function)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (Intermediate mass black holes in star-forming galaxies)
2017-2-SCI-014 P2 RSS (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-2-SCI-018 P2 RSS (Searching for small-scale pairs of quasars and galaxies.)
2017-2-SCI-008 P2 RSS (x2) (Survey of V-type asteroids outside the Vesta family)
2017-2-SCI-023 P3 RSS (White Dwarfs in the K2 survey)

Night Log 2018-04-20

SA: Petri
SO: Veronica
Others: Stephen, Demeys

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Summary
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Another beautiful stable night, with 1" seeing all throughout, was spent doing a
mixture of science and engineering, the latter in particular to get the new amazing
RSS guider commissioned.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-SCI-014 P0 RSS (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2017-2-SCI-024 P0 RSS (Variability of an ancient nova)
2017-2-SCI-056 P1 RSS (x2) (Measuring Galaxy Kinematics For Construction of the Velocity Function)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-SCI-017 P1 HRS (HRS observations of symbiotic stars)
2017-1-MLT-001 P2 HRS (Study of long-period eclipsing binaries)
2016-2-LSP-001 P2 HRS (x2) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-SCI-045 P3 SCAM (x2) (Confirmation and redshift determination of galaxy clusters.)

Night Log 2018-04-14

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi

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Summary
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Some science could be observed tonight, but most of the night was lost to weather

Science data taken for:
2017-1-MLT-001 P3 HRS (Study of long-period eclipsing binaries)
2017-2-SCI-027 P4 HRS (Measuring the orbits of double white dwarfs.)
2017-2-SCI-029 P4 HRS (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2017-2-SCI-007 P4 HRS (Searching for heavy-metal subdwarfs and extreme-helium stars. )
2017-1-MLT-005 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic investigations of Cepheids and stars belonging to open clusters and associations)

Night Log 2018-04-19

SA: Petri
SO: Veronica
Others: Stephen, Deneys, Jonathan, Thabelo. Timmy, Eben in the evening. Mouse.

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Summary
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Beautiful clear night with great seeing. However, spent most of the night getting
ready to use the newly installed RSS guide probes, i.e. engineering tests. Some
unrelated tech.trouble too. In between took three science observations:


Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-SCI-017 P2 HRS (HRS observations of symbiotic stars)
2016-2-LSP-001 P3 HRS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)

Night Log 2018-04-18

SA: Petri
SO: Veronica
Others: Stephen, Deneys25

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Summary
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Cloudy and wet night, with no science observations unfortunately. Several closed
dome engineering tests were done however. And godspeed TESS! We watched
the awesome SpaceX launch live, hoping to observe TESS-exos later with HRS.


No science data taken.

Night Log 2018-04-17

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi, Petri for handover.

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Summary
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A mixed night. It started with heavy rain, then we could observe some science targets, and we had to close again because of the weather.


Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-MLT-006 P3 HRS (Studying the composition of Binary stars to estimate their ages)
2017-1-MLT-012 P3 HRS (Detailled study of CEMP stars identified in the RAVE survey)
2017-2-SCI-029 P4 HRS (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)

Night Log 2018-04-16

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi, Ant

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Summary
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A productive night, despite weather and clouds being uncooperative.

we could also finish the last engineering tests that needed to be done.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-2-MLT-006 P2 HRS (x3) (Studying the composition of Binary stars to estimate their ages)
2017-2-SCI-029 P4 HRS (x4) (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2017-1-MLT-010 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2017-2-SCI-022 P4 HRS (Measuring the interstellar abundance of lithium in the Large Magellanic Cloud)

Night Log 2018-04-15

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi, Ant

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Summary
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A productive night, during which we finished the engineering tests on one of the instrument, we could do some science, including an observation of a target that was 10 magnitude brighter than a few days ago, which is an increase by a factor of 10000.
then the weather forced us to close.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-LSP-001 P0 HRS (x2) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2017-2-DDT-004 P1 HRS (The transient ASASSN-18fv)
2017-1-MLT-010 P2 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2017-2-MLT-006 P2 HRS (x3) (Studying the composition of Binary stars to estimate their ages)
2017-2-SCI-017 P2 HRS (HRS observations of symbiotic stars)
2017-2-SCI-045 P3 SCAM (Confirmation and redshift determination of galaxy clusters.)

Night Log 2018-04-13

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi, Janus, Stephen, Paul

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Summary
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More commissionning tests tonight.
We have been able to observe one scientific block tonight, before the weather forced us to close.

Science data taken for:
2017-1-MLT-010 P2 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)

Night Log 2018-04-12

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Rudi, Janus, Stephen

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Summary
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Commissionning night in preparation for the reopening of SALT to science


No science data taken.

Night Log 2018-04-11

SA: ��ric
SO: Fred
Others: Janus, Stephen H, Rudi

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Summary
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Commissioning tests

No science data taken.