TAKING EXPOSURES--GETTING STARTED
WHERE ARE MY EXPOSURES?
All of your images are copied over to the observer2 console, pictured below.
They are located in this directory:
/data_local/images/fits/2012B-9999
where 2012B-9999 is your proposal ID (replace 2012B-9999 with your proposal ID).
TAKING AN EXPOSURE
To take an exposure select the Exposure Control view.
Select the desired exposure type, time, and filter. The other fields are optional.
-
Filter - Select the filter from the pull down menu. Block is the solid metal plate that blocks all light. Pin hole is the metal plate with a single, small hole. When using the exposure form you can not select multiple filters.
-
Time - requested exposure time in seconds
-
Type - Select the exposure type from the pull down menu (e.g. "object").
-
RA - Select the RA type coordinate from the pull down menu. Options include:
-
(Dec) Coordinate - Enter the coordinate in DD:MM or degree format (dec option) or degrees (delta DEC, EL options)
-
(RA) Coordinate - Enter the coordinate in HH:MM or degree format (RA, HA options) or degrees (delta RA, AZ options).
-
AZ (Azimuth). The dec label will change to EL.
-
HA (hour angle)
-
delta RA - choose this for relative coordinates. The dec label will change to delta dec.
-
Count - If set to n the same exposure request will be submitted n times.
-
Object - Name or identifier of the field to be observed.
-
Focus - Enter either a single value to set the focus (hexapod z parameter) or a sequence of six floats separated by commas for the 6 hexapod degrees of freedom (x, y, z, theta, phi, 0) [The last value has to be 0]
-
Exclude - Explicitly disable a DECam component from participating in the exposure. Use carefully!
-
Hexapod - If checked do not adjust the hexapod (excludes both the look up table and the AOS tweaks)
-
Guider - If checked do use ther guider. No corrections will be sent to the TCS.
-
Bcam - If checked do not fire the Bcam. No Bcam information will be sent to the AOS.
-
AOS - If checked the AOS is not used and no tweaks are sent to the hexapod.
-
Comment - Comment to be added to the exposure FITS header.
You can take your desired exposures by (1) adding these to the observing queue by clicking the "Add" button, or
(2) hit the "Expose" button to take the image. If you add images to the queue, you start running the queue, by hitting "Go".
TEST EXPOSURE
The first image after Vsub is turned on will not usable. Make sure you take a test exposure (for example, a zero) before trying to acquire any images that are important to you.
ZEROS
Select the exposure type "zero" and specify the quantity of zeros you would like to take. Hit either the "Expose" button, or add the images to the queue by hitting the "Add" button. Run the queue by hitting the green "Go" button.
FLATS
Select the exposure type "flat" and specify the quantity of flats you would like to take. Hit either the "Expose" button, or add the images to the queue by hitting the "Add" button. Run the queue by hitting the green "Go" button. The recommended flat exposure times are given below.
[1]
[2]
