Coude Auxiliary Telescope User's Guide


Table of Contents


Description
Introduction
Overview
Optical Arrangement
Operation
Opening
Pointing
Bore Sighting
FAT-CAT (Wide field acquisition camera)
Guiding
Image Rotator (Hamilton Manual)
Closing
Limits
Pointing
Weather

Observing Hints (Hamilton Manual)
Checklists
Old Cat Manual
Hamilton Spectrograph Instrument Manual


Data Archive
Mt. Hamilton Homepage

Checklists


Start of Night Checklist

  1. If using the Hamilton: open, focus, and take calibrations on the Hamilton.
  2. Turn on ventilation fan
  3. Turn on lights
  4. Turn on the CAT housing control power.
  5. Open CAT housing (button on CAT housing control panel).
  6. Open upper shutter (toggle switch at upper left on CAT housing control panel).
  7. Open Siderostat cover. Warning: it is currently broken, so you can not open or close it (Dec 2010).
  8. Open primary mirror cover (red box on ledge next to the upper right of guide camera).
  9. Open portal opening (using red T-handle hanging from ceiling).
  10. Turn on telescope power.
  11. Turn on tracking.
  12. Turn off CAT housing control panel lights.
  13. Turn off lights (LEDs etc) and close door(s) and head to the readout room.
  14. Find a zenith star
  15. Adjust coordinate display to match star position to precessed catalogue.
  16. Find science target and star observing.

End of Night Shutdown Checklist

  1. Turn off telescope tracking.
  2. Stow telescope at 0 hours HA and +30 degrees Dec.
  3. Turn off telescope power.
  4. Turn off CAT position display.
  5. Close portal opening (using red T-handle hanging from ceiling).
  6. Close primary mirror cover (red box on ledge to upper right of guide camera).
  7. Turn on CAT housing control panel (toggle switch at upper right).
  8. Close Siderostat cover. Warning: it is currently broken, so you can not close it (Dec 2010).
  9. Close upper shutter (toggle switch at upper left on CAT housing control panel).
  10. Close CAT housing (button on CAT housing control panel).
  11. Turn off CAT housing control panel (toggle switch at upper right).
  12. Turn off ventilation fan.
  13. Turn off lights and close door(s).
  14. Get some well deserved sleep.