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Quick Reference
The Observing Assistant (OA) is not permitted to open the dome
until after sunset. Please be patient while the shutter opens
and the OA checks the initial telescope pointing.
To configure KPF for observing, run
KPF Control Menu --> Run Start of Night Script from the background menu (or kpfStartOfNight from the command line on any KPF machine)
This will
- Disable automated calibrations
- Configure the FIU to the observing mode
- Open the science and sky source select shutters
- Configure the AO Bench. Including positioning the PCU stage and opening the AO hatch.
- Configure DCS for KPF by setting
dcs.ROTDEST=0 and dcs.ROTMODE=stationary
- Confgure the tip tilt loop gain to its default setting
- Set data output directory
- Set observers from telescope schedule
The Observing Assistant (OA) is not permitted to open the dome
until after sunset. Please be patient while the shutter opens
and the OA checks the initial telescope pointing.
When ready to move the telescope, the OA will ask you for your
first target and load the coordinates from your
starlist file. He or she will select a
bright star near your target and will attempt to acquire that in
the guider, then will double-check the accuracy of pointing by
acquiring one or two additional stars from the SAO or GSC
catalogs.
To monitor the guider images, run
Telescope GUIs --> MAGIQ Guider UI from the
background menu.
Ask the OA to run the telescope focus procedure (Autofoc) near your science field.
Observers can load previously saved OBs or create them on the fly for KPF observing.
To load and execute a saved OB,
- Click Load OB from File
- Select a desired OB from the corresponding starlist directory
- Click Execute This OB or Execute Slew Cal then OB
The GUI will first prompt the observers to conform the OB execution. Once confirmed,
an xterm will launch and prompt the observers with addtional setup information.
Confirm with the OA that
- PO is at KPF
- We are not guiding. Before the tip tilt loop is closed, it will show Not Guiding under Guiding in FACSUM.
After the tip tilt loop is closed, it shows KPF Control
- Press Enter to continue with the OB execution
There are two ways to stop an exposure. In the OB GUI, click Request Script STOP or STOP Exposure and Script.
Note that once an OB is executed, with or without slew cal, the only way to modify the same OB is to first stop the exposure.
- Request Script STOP will finish the current exposure, read out and save the data, and then stop the exposure sequence.
- STOP Exposure and Script will immediately stop the current exposure, read out and save data, and then stop the exposure sequence.
On a KPF/KPF split night, before starting the second KPF program, run
KPF Control Menu --> Set Program ID and Observers from the background menu (or kpfSetObserverFromSchedule from the command line on any KPF machine)
Enter the program ID at the terminal prompt
The script will set program ID and observers for the second KPF program, based on the telescope schedule.