Thursday, October 31, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-30

SA: Marissa
SO: Thea
Others: Enrico

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Summary
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Night cut short by high humidity

Science data taken for:
2018-2-LSP-001 P0 SCAM (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-LSP-001 P1 RSS (x3) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-MLT-009 P2 HRS (Monitoring the spectral variation of white dwarf with massive Be type companions)

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-29

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Stephen H, Sunny Boy. Etienne to help with the slitmask.

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Summary
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Beautiful clear night at last!!! Unfortunately lost some time to a technical problem with RSS, but the rest of the night was just perfect. :)



Science data taken for:
2018-2-LSP-001 P0 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-LSP-001 P0 HRS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-1-MLT-014 P1 RSS (Probing the optical counterparts of high energy sources)
2017-2-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Galaxy pairs in the Hubble Frontier Fields)
2018-2-SCI-020 P1 RSS (Spectroscopic follow-up of strong gravitational lenses)
2019-1-MLT-003 P1 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)
2018-2-MLT-005 P1 RSS (Probing the winds from massive binary star supernova progenitors)
2019-1-MLT-005 P2 RSS (Spectral survey of candidate unusual nearby void dwarfs)

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-28

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Alrin, Thabelo, E10, Mark for the tracker. Stephen H.

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Summary
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Entire night lost to rain, sleet and high humidity.


No science data taken.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-26

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Stephen H.

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Summary
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Some thin cloud tonight with patches of sub-arcsecond seeing. The humidity forced us to close at 22:35, but it dropped again at around 1am. Then we struggled with cloud for the rest of the night.




Science data taken for:
2016-1-COM-009 P0 RSS (August-2016 shutdown engineering and re-commissioning tests)
2019-1-SCI-025 P1 RSS (x2) (Studing nova shells and jets)
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-SCI-030 P2 RSS (Searching for AGN undetected in X-ray surveys. )
2018-2-SCI-020 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic follow-up of strong gravitational lenses)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2019-1-SCI-036 P3 HRS (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)

Night Log 2019-10-26

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Stephen H.

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Summary
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Some thin cloud tonight with patches of sub-arcsecond seeing. The humidity forced us to close at 22:35, but it dropped again at around 1am. Then we struggled with cloud for the rest of the night.




Science data taken for:
2016-1-COM-009 P0 RSS (August-2016 shutdown engineering and re-commissioning tests)
2019-1-SCI-025 P1 RSS (x2) (Studing nova shells and jets)
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-SCI-030 P2 RSS (Searching for AGN undetected in X-ray surveys. )
2018-2-SCI-020 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic follow-up of strong gravitational lenses)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2019-1-SCI-036 P3 HRS (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-25

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Stephen H.

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Summary
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The night started very cloudy, then the clouds went away and we had beautiful clear skies with decent seeing, until the humidity forced us to close at 1:30am.


Science data taken for:
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-MLT-005 P2 RSS (Spectral survey of candidate unusual nearby void dwarfs)
2018-1-SCI-041 P2 RSS (x2) (Confirmation and redshift determination of galaxy clusters.)
2019-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)
2018-2-LSP-001 P2 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-SCI-002 P4 RSS (Measuring the properites of giant stars in close binaries that may eventually merge and explode.)

Friday, October 25, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-24

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Stephen H. Etienne to help with the SALTICAM fold mirror. Janus over the phone.

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Summary
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Entire night lost to weather.

No science data taken.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-23

SA: Encarni
SO: Fred
Others: Hannah (

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Summary
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Nearly the entire night lost to cloud. We only managed to open briefly for a quick observation.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-22

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Jessymol (in training). Enrico, Jaco Brink, Fred, Stephen H, Thabang, Mark, Eben, Timmy, Thabelo, Ettiene

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Summary
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Most of the night lost to weather but the second half was put to good use for high priority observations.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-GWE-005 P0 RSS (S190923y candidate)
2019-1-SCI-025 P1 RSS (Studing nova shells and jets)
2019-1-MLT-005 P1 RSS (Spectral survey of candidate unusual nearby void dwarfs)
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2018-2-LSP-001 P2 RSS (x2) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)

Monday, October 21, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-20

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Jessymol (in training), Enrico

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Summary
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Most of the night lost to weather.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-026 P3 RSS (Characterising the UV emission in hyperluminous, dust-obscured quasars)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-18

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Jessymol (in training), Enrico

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Summary
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Clear night with variable seeing.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-SCI-018 P1 RSS (Looking for extened Lyman alpha halos around quasars)
2019-1-MLT-009 P2 HRS (x2) (Monitoring the spectral variation of white dwarf with massive Be type companions)
2018-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (Spectral study of starforming rings in S0 galaxies)
2019-1-MLT-008 P2 HRS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2019-1-SCI-038 P2 SCAM (x3) (Shells around SMC novae)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (x2) (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)

Friday, October 18, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-17

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Jessymol (in training), Enrico, Waanie

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Summary
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Night lost to weather, but used the time for closed-dome calibrations.

No science data taken.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-16

SA: Marissa
SO: Veronica
Others: Jessymol (in training), Enrico, Waanie, Keith, Lisa, Hannah

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Summary
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Night cut short by thick clouds in the early morning.

Science data taken for:
2018-1-MLT-005 P2 HRS (HRS observations of symbiotic stars)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-MLT-008 P2 HRS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x2) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x2) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-15

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others: Jessymol, Marissa, Enrico

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Summary
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A fairly productive night with moderate to good conditions and a variety of priority blocks observed.

Science data taken for:
2018-1-MLT-005 P1 HRS (HRS observations of symbiotic stars)
2019-1-MLT-008 P2 HRS (x2) (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 HRS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x2) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x7) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-14

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others: Keith

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Summary
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A productive night with some bad seeing and clouds for some parts of it. Mostly low priority blocks observed.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2018-2-LSP-001 P2 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x5) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x5) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (x3) (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)

Monday, October 14, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-13

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others:

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Summary
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A full night observing only low priority targets with the bright moon.

Science data taken for:
2016-2-COM-001 P1 RSS (Polarimetry test proposal)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x2) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2019-1-SCI-006 P3 HRS (Investigation of variability of absorption lines due to ISM towards vela SNR. )
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (x4) (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x8) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-036 P4 HRS (Spectroscopy of TESS targets)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)
2019-1-SCI-002 P4 RSS (Measuring the properites of giant stars in close binaries that may eventually merge and explode.)

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-12

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others:

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Summary
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Another productive night with mostly low priority blocks observed.

Science data taken for:
2018-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (Interaction history of the LMC and SMC)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x5) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-MLT-008 P3 HRS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x4) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (x3) (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 HRS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-11

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others:

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Summary
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A productive night, although mostly low priority targets observed. No downtime at all tonight.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-010 P0 HRS (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-MLT-008 P3 HRS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2019-1-MLT-002 P3 HRS (x6) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x4) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)

Friday, October 11, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-10

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others:

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Summary
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A relatively good night with various priority blocks observed in moderate seeing conditions.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-010 P0 HRS (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-MLT-002 P2 RSS (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2019-1-MLT-008 P3 HRS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (x2) (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (x2) (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)
2018-2-MLT-003 P4 RSS (Looking at chromospheric emission in stars which host exoplanets)

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-09

SA: Rudi
SO: Thea
Others:

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Summary
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Managed to get only two blocks observed before the weather forced us to close.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-08

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others: Rudi

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Summary
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One P0 done and the rest mainly P2's and P4's.
The night became humid around 3:30 am and couldn't observe after that.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-010 P0 HRS (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-MLT-009 P2 HRS (Monitoring the spectral variation of white dwarf with massive Be type companions)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (x2) (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-SCI-009 P2 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)
2018-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (Interaction history of the LMC and SMC)
2019-1-SCI-038 P2 SCAM (Shells around SMC novae)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x3) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-004 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of candidate massive stars around the blue supergiant MN18)

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-07

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Good night..2 P0 targets done.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-010 P0 HRS (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-MLT-004 P0 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-SCI-030 P2 RSS (Searching for AGN undetected in X-ray surveys. )
2018-2-MLT-006 P2 RSS (Study of unclassified extragalactic NuSTAR serendipitous sources)
2018-2-LSP-001 P2 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (x2) (Interaction history of the LMC and SMC)
2019-1-MLT-007 P3 RSS (Probing the nature of TeV and neutrino candidate blazars)
2019-1-SCI-021 P4 RSS (Monitoring LBVs; @astro_Liz)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x3) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)

Monday, October 7, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-06

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Got several high priority targets but no P0's.
The average seeing was ~ 2, not as good as the previous days.

Science data taken for:
2018-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (Interaction history of the LMC and SMC)
2019-1-SCI-018 P2 RSS (x2) (Looking for extened Lyman alpha halos around quasars)
2019-1-MLT-002 P2 HRS (x2) (Spectroscopic observations of central stars of mid-infrared nebulae)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x3) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-05

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Was overall a good night.. had some technical problems at start but was solved and observations were resumed. We had a couple of high priority targets.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-018 P1 RSS (Looking for extened Lyman alpha halos around quasars)
2018-1-MLT-004 P1 SCAM (Dark energy and the expansion rate of the Universe from quasar monitoring.)
2018-2-MLT-006 P1 RSS (Study of unclassified extragalactic NuSTAR serendipitous sources)
2018-1-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Dark energy and the expansion rate of the Universe from quasar monitoring.)
2018-2-MLT-001 P2 RSS (Interaction history of the LMC and SMC)
2018-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (x2) (Spectral study of starforming rings in S0 galaxies)
2019-1-SCI-014 P2 RSS (Measuring galaxy kinematics for construction of the galaxy velocity function)
2019-1-SCI-039 P2 RSS (The Formation of Compact Stellar Systems)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x2) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-04

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Another great observing night with 4 P0 targets done, including one Gravitational Wave event. One P0 had to be cut short due to technical issues. But the rest were well received.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-SCI-010 P0 HRS (x2) (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-GWE-005 P0 RSS (S190923y candidate)
2018-2-LSP-001 P0 SCAM (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2019-1-SCI-025 P1 RSS (Studing nova shells and jets)
2019-1-MLT-009 P2 HRS (Monitoring the spectral variation of white dwarf with massive Be type companions)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-SCI-037 P2 RSS (The role of nitrogen in pre-white dwarf pulsations)
2018-2-SCI-020 P2 RSS (x2) (Spectroscopic follow-up of strong gravitational lenses)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x2) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)
2019-1-MLT-008 P4 RSS (HRS monitoring of yellow symbiotic systems)

Friday, October 4, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-03

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Was my first independent observing night at SALT and enjoyed it very much..It was a dream-come-true moment for me :D

It was overall a good night. 3 P0 targets attempted successfully and 3 P1's.
The rest P2's, P3's and P4's.



Science data taken for:
2019-1-MLT-004 P0 RSS (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-SCI-010 P1 RSS (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2017-2-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Galaxy pairs in the Hubble Frontier Fields)
2019-1-SCI-010 P1 HRS (x3) (Exoplanets from TESS with @EllieInSpace)
2019-1-SCI-037 P2 RSS (The role of nitrogen in pre-white dwarf pulsations)
2019-1-MLT-009 P2 HRS (x2) (Monitoring the spectral variation of white dwarf with massive Be type companions)
2018-2-LSP-001 P3 RSS (Observing optical counterparts of transient objects)
2018-2-MLT-007 P4 HRS (x2) (Searching for evolved binary stars with long orbital periods)
2019-1-SCI-009 P4 HRS (Spectroscopic observations of four candidate post-binary interaction products)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-02

SA: Rajeev
SO: Veronica
Others:

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Summary
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Weather was cloudy whole night and couldn't observe.

No science data taken.

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Night Log 2019-10-01

SA: Moses
SO: Thea
Others: Rajeev (for changeover), Petr Fatka

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Summary
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Night was affected by thick clouds in the middle and towards the end of the night. Seeing was reasonable for most of the evening and we managed to observe a mix of high and low priority targets.

Science data taken for:
2017-2-MLT-004 P1 RSS (Galaxy pairs in the Hubble Frontier Fields)
2019-1-MLT-005 P1 RSS (Spectral survey of candidate unusual nearby void dwarfs)
2019-1-MLT-004 P2 RSS (x2) (Observations of supernovae, near and far. @_sublunar_)
2019-1-SCI-019 P2 RSS (Probing the outflows from quasars)
2018-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (Spectral study of starforming rings in S0 galaxies)
2019-1-SCI-026 P3 RSS (Characterising the UV emission in hyperluminous, dust-obscured quasars)
2019-1-MLT-007 P3 RSS (x2) (Probing the nature of TeV and neutrino candidate blazars)
2019-1-MLT-003 P4 RSS (A SALT survey of chemically-peculiar hot subdwarfs.)

Tuesday, October 1, 2019

Night Log 2019-09-30

SA: Moses
SO: Thea
Others: Richard

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Summary
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Only managed to complete one observation before humidity closed us for the night.

Science data taken for:
2019-1-DDT-004 P0 HRS (Studies of new heart-beating star)