Nightlog Summary | Gemini North

The observing team at Gemini keeps a detailed log of each night's science observing, also noting weather issues, technical faults and any time spent in planned engineering. It is read by Gemini staff early each morning. A summary of the night is written at the end of observing and included at the top of each night log. That summary is posted here, unedited, to give interested users a feel for what we're doing.

UT DATE	NIGHT PLAN	NIGHT SUMMARY
Sep 19, 2018	Gemini North is in a scheduled maintenance period, and will be closed for observing between 9/17 - 9/27.
Sep 18, 2018	Gemini North is in a scheduled maintenance period, and will be closed for observing between 9/17 - 9/27.
Sep 17, 2018	Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for high clouds and good seeing. Engineering work is planned in one plan variant.	Some thin clouds and variable seeing at the beginning of the night, then clear skies and excellent image quality. Some weather loss due to varying conditions, high wind, NIFS targets with too-faint guide objects, and elevation constraints from the bottom shutter. No engineering work performed.
Sep 16, 2018	Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS, GNIRS and NIFS). Weather forecast is a small risk for short-lived fog/high humidity at the beginning of the night, with increasing cloud coverage and good seeing. Engineering work is planned at the end of the night in one plan variant.	Excellent conditions again with a virtually cloudless night and great seeing. Took exclusively band 1 and 2 data and only had a couple of non-disruptive faults. No engineering work performed.
Sep 15, 2018	Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for high clouds coming from the west passing along northern skies and a small risk for short-lived fog/high humidity early in the evening and during the second half of the night. GMOS engineering work/monitoring is planned at the end of the night in one plan variant.	We were graced with excellent seeing and clear skies throughout the night, and no telescope faults. Observed exclusively band 1 and 2 programs, no engineering work performed.
Sep 14, 2018	Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for fog, high humidity and rain mainly during the first half of the night with residual clouds persisting throughout.	We were able to observe band 2, 3, and 4 programs tonight in spite of opening a few hours late due to high humidity. Conditions improved immensely to IQ70 (borderline IQ20) and CC70. Encountered a couple of ECS faults and took data exclusively with GMOS, as NIFS went down near the end of the night upon first attempt to use it.
Sep 13, 2018	Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for fog, high humidity, clouds and/or rain.	Night lost to fog, high humidity, and rain as forecast. In addition, HELCO power went down at the summit & the generator kicked in, ending the night.


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UT DATE

NIGHT PLAN

NIGHT SUMMARY

Sep 19, 2018

Gemini North is in a scheduled maintenance period, and will be closed for observing between 9/17 - 9/27.

Sep 18, 2018

Gemini North is in a scheduled maintenance period, and will be closed for observing between 9/17 - 9/27.

Sep 17, 2018

Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for high clouds and good seeing. Engineering work is planned in one plan variant.

Some thin clouds and variable seeing at the beginning of the night, then clear skies and excellent image quality. Some weather loss due to varying conditions, high wind, NIFS targets with too-faint guide objects, and elevation constraints from the bottom shutter. No engineering work performed.

Sep 16, 2018

Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS, GNIRS and NIFS). Weather forecast is a small risk for short-lived fog/high humidity at the beginning of the night, with increasing cloud coverage and good seeing. Engineering work is planned at the end of the night in one plan variant.

Excellent conditions again with a virtually cloudless night and great seeing. Took exclusively band 1 and 2 data and only had a couple of non-disruptive faults. No engineering work performed.

Sep 15, 2018

Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for high clouds coming from the west passing along northern skies and a small risk for short-lived fog/high humidity early in the evening and during the second half of the night. GMOS engineering work/monitoring is planned at the end of the night in one plan variant.

We were graced with excellent seeing and clear skies throughout the night, and no telescope faults. Observed exclusively band 1 and 2 programs, no engineering work performed.

Sep 14, 2018

Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for fog, high humidity and rain mainly during the first half of the night with residual clouds persisting throughout.

We were able to observe band 2, 3, and 4 programs tonight in spite of opening a few hours late due to high humidity. Conditions improved immensely to IQ70 (borderline IQ20) and CC70. Encountered a couple of ECS faults and took data exclusively with GMOS, as NIFS went down near the end of the night upon first attempt to use it.

Sep 13, 2018

Multi-instrument queue observing (GMOS and NIFS). Weather forecast is for fog, high humidity, clouds and/or rain.

Night lost to fog, high humidity, and rain as forecast. In addition, HELCO power went down at the summit & the generator kicked in, ending the night.

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