Night Log 2026-07-17

SA: Nikki SO: Fred Others: Rudi for damage control, UCT Physics HoD + family ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We had medium weather conditions all night, with oddly smooth but opague-ish cloud coverage. Though it was good enough to stay open, we tried to err on the safe side and opt for brighter targets. Otherwise the night was positively uneventful. Science data taken for: 2026-1-COM-001 P1 HRS (HRS HS Commissioning ) 2025-2-MLT-008 P2 HRS (Monitoring beta Pic for exocomets.) 2026-1-MLT-003 P2 RSS (x3) (RSS longslit observations of Hickson Compact Groups) 2026-1-MLT-006 P3 RSS (x3) (Search for new Galactic symbiotic stars) 2025-2-MLT-004 P3 HRS (Radial Velocity Monitoring and Atmospheric Parameters Study of Yellow Symbiotic Giants) 2025-2-MLT-013 P3 RSS (x2) (Searching for double hydrogen-deficient stars) 2024-1-MLT-010 P3 HRS (Stellar Characterisation of Ariel mission targets: derivation of N and O abundances) 2025-2-LSP-001 P4 HRS (Defining a new chemically peculiar star catalogue) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-16

SA: Nikki SO: Fred Others: Rudi, Wimpie for slitmask issue + HRS major fault ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ We had a good night with mostly clear conditions and good seeing, and managed to observe quite a few science blocks. There were some technical hiccups, but they were resolved relatively quickly. Clouds rolled in within the final hour of the night, so we closed a bit early. Science data taken for: 2025-2-MLT-011 P0 RSS (Obtaining dynamical information and constraining galaxy cluster merger geometries and timescales) 2024-2-COM-002 P1 RSS (This is a commissioning proposal) 2026-1-SCI-008 P1 RSS (Determining mass of 2 Brown Dwarfs orbiting WD stars using Radial Velocities) 2025-2-MLT-008 P2 HRS (Monitoring beta Pic for exocomets.) 2025-2-MLT-014 P2 RSS (Observations of a possible nova super-remnant around a CV.) 2025-2-MLT-013 P3 RSS (x2) (Searching for double hydrogen-deficient stars) 2026-1-MLT-006 P3 RSS (x2) (Search for new Galactic symbiotic stars) 2026-1-SCI-021 P3 HRS (x3) (Charcaterizing eclisping binaries that have experienced unstable mass transfer) 2026-1-MLT-003 P3 RSS (x2) (RSS longslit observations of Hickson Compact Groups) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-15

SA: Rudi SO: Fred Others: Nikki ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A full night of observing. Mostly higher priority blocks observed with some technical downtime scattered throughout the night. Science data taken for: 2025-2-MLT-011 P0 RSS (Obtaining dynamical information and constraining galaxy cluster merger geometries and timescales) 2026-1-SCI-001 P1 HRS (Tracing evolution of recent stellar merger remnants) 2026-1-SCI-016 P1 RSS ("Understanding the peculiar collision geometry of the Cartwheel system") 2026-1-SCI-021 P1 HRS (Charcaterizing eclisping binaries that have experienced unstable mass transfer) 2026-1-SCI-003 P2 RSS (The rapid stages of final stellar evolution caught in the act) 2024-2-LSP-001 P2 RSS (Followup of Transients) 2024-1-MLT-010 P2 HRS (Stellar Characterisation of Ariel mission targets: derivation of N and O abundances) 2024-2-LSP-001 P2 HRS (Followup of Transients) 2025-2-MLT-008 P2 HRS (Monitoring beta Pic for exocomets.) 2025-2-MLT-004 P2 HRS (Radial Velocity Monitoring and Atmospheric Parameters Study of Yellow Symbiotic Giants) 2025-2-MLT-013 P3 RSS (Searching for double hydrogen-deficient stars) 2026-1-MLT-006 P3 RSS (x2) (Search for new Galactic symbiotic stars) 2025-2-LSP-001 P4 HRS (Defining a new chemically peculiar star catalogue) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-14

SA: Zwidofhela SO: Veronica Others: Rudi, Nikki, Fred, E10 and Eben ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ A long night with good weather and improved seeing. We observed fourteen blocks including a P0 and several P1, P2 and P3 blocks. Science data taken for: 2026-1-SCI-008 P1 RSS (Determining mass of 2 Brown Dwarfs orbiting WD stars using Radial Velocities) 2026-1-SCI-023 P1 RSS (Exploring accretion modes of GRGs to gain insights into their feedback mechanisms.) 2025-2-MLT-005 P1 RSS (IFU observations of nearby MHONGOOSE galaxies) 2025-2-MLT-014 P1 RSS (Observations of a possible nova super-remnant around a CV.) 2026-1-COM-001 P1 HRS (HRS HS Commissioning ) 2026-1-SCI-024 P2 RSS (Decoding the star formation history of Arp 261) 2025-2-MLT-012 P3 HRS (Search for binary stars which may form planetary nebulae.) 2026-1-SCI-014 P3 RSS (x2) (What galaxies cause odd radio circles (ORCs)?) 2026-1-SCI-004 P3 HRS (Studying the variable stellar winds of Wolf-Rayet stars) 2025-2-MLT-013 P3 RSS (x2) (Searching for double hydrogen-deficient stars) 2024-1-MLT-010 P3 HRS (Stellar Characterisation of Ariel mission targets: derivation of N and O abundances) 2025-2-LSP-001 P4 HRS (Defining a new chemically peculiar star catalogue) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-13

SA: Zwidofhela SO: Veronica Others: E10, Eben ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Another long night with good weather, we managed to observe seventeen blocks including a P0 and several P1, P2 and P3 and a just one P4. Science data taken for: 2026-1-SCI-010 P0 RSS (High cadence spectroscopy of white dwarf pulsar J191213-44) 2026-1-COM-001 P1 HRS (HRS HS Commissioning ) 2026-1-SCI-021 P1 HRS (Charcaterizing eclisping binaries that have experienced unstable mass transfer) 2026-1-SCI-020 P1 RSS (Finding presence of Supermassive black hole binaries in quasars) 2026-1-SCI-023 P1 RSS (Exploring accretion modes of GRGs to gain insights into their feedback mechanisms.) 2026-1-SCI-009 P2 RSS (Extreme variability in the BLR of the AGN HE2129-3356) 2025-2-MLT-004 P2 HRS (Radial Velocity Monitoring and Atmospheric Parameters Study of Yellow Symbiotic Giants) 2026-1-SCI-025 P2 RSS (We are probing the large scale outflows in bright quasars through absorption spectroscopy.) 2024-2-LSP-001 P2 HRS (Followup of Transients) 2025-2-MLT-008 P2 HRS (Monitoring beta Pic for exocomets.) 2024-2-MLT-001 P3 HRS (x2) (Spectroscopy of compact heirarchial triples) 2025-2-MLT-012 P3 HRS (Search for binary stars which may form planetary nebulae.) 2026-1-SCI-018 P3 RSS (Measuring distances to the largest known radio galaxies to understand how black hole jets grow.) 2026-1-MLT-003 P3 RSS (RSS longslit observations of Hickson Compact Groups) 2026-1-MLT-006 P3 RSS (x2) (Search for new Galactic symbiotic stars) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-12

SA: Zwidofhela SO: Veronica Others: Eben ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The first half of the night was lost to bad weather but we managed to observe seven blocks including a P0. Science data taken for: 2026-1-SCI-007 P0 RSS (Observations of Rare and Fast Transients and their Hosts) 2026-1-SCI-023 P1 RSS (Exploring accretion modes of GRGs to gain insights into their feedback mechanisms.) 2025-2-MLT-004 P3 HRS (Radial Velocity Monitoring and Atmospheric Parameters Study of Yellow Symbiotic Giants) 2024-2-MLT-001 P3 HRS (Spectroscopy of compact heirarchial triples) 2025-2-MLT-013 P3 RSS (Searching for double hydrogen-deficient stars) 2026-1-MLT-006 P4 RSS (Search for new Galactic symbiotic stars) 2025-2-LSP-001 P4 HRS (Defining a new chemically peculiar star catalogue) ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night Log 2026-07-11

SA: Zwidofhela SO: Veronica Others: Kotaro Daimon, Shuma Makia ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The whole night was lost due to bad weather. No science data taken. ------------------------------------------------------------------------