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13 Jan 2025: Scheduling of photometric standard observations has been updated to ensure that we always request at least three exposures in adjacent filters within the same filter system (Johnson-Cousins or Sloan). Prior to this update, our scheduling algorithm would determine the ages of the archived standard observations and schedule observations with the filters that were “oldest”, i.e. least up-to-date, regardless of system. A drawback of the old algorithm is that impractical combinations of filters (e.g. U, I, g', z_s ?) would sometimes get selected.
25 Dec 2024: A Christmas Eve windstorm in Santa Barbara knocked out power to LCO Headquarters. The outage diminished our capacity to monitor the network, but as far as we can tell, the scheduling of science observations was only affected at the CTIO (Chile) site.
18 Oct 2024: We've created a document to provide guidance on observing close-approaching NEOs.
17 Sep 2024: We have assigned the correct telescope names to the DeltaRho350s that were deployed in 2023-2024. These assignments will change the TELESCOP header variables in the FITS image files.
5 Feb 2025: An oil chiller on the 2-meter telescope has malfunctioned. The telescope cannot operate when the oil is too hot, so it cannot be used for science observations.
16 Jan 2025: The FLOYDS arc spectra have unexpectedly shifted, causing a problem for the data pipeline's wavelength calibration. Final data products from COJ-FLOYDS spectra will not be available until the data pipeline can accommodate the new arc spectra.
1 Jan 2025: Because of problems with site power, we suspended science observations for the night. (The weather wasn't great anyway.)
18 Dec 2024: The sq36 camera was put back on the 0m4a telescope. Testing is in progress.
11 Dec 2024: The sq36 camera was removed from the 0m4a telescope for routine maintenance.
3-10 Dec 2024: We've replaced the guide camera for the FLOYDS spectrograph on the 2-meter telescope.
22 Nov 2024: Control of the camera on the 0m4a telescope (sq36) was switched to a new computer, but the change triggered some configuration problems. The camera is offline for tonight.
18 Nov 2024: The encoder tape on the 0m4a telescope has been replaced, and the telescope is now moving normally. Science observations with this telescope can resume.
8 Oct 2024: The 0m4a telescope is stuck again. On the roll axis.
5-7 Oct 2024: The 0m4a telescope (with the sq36 camera) was stuck on the roll axis.
18-25 Sep 2024: The computer controlling the sq37 camera on the 0m4b telescope was repeatedly failing. The telescope was unavailable while the computer was being fixed.
3 Sep 2024: The glycol cooling system on MuSCAT4 has been cleaned and repaired, and the instrument is available for science observations again.
25 Aug 2024: The MuSCAT4 cameras are warming-up. This instrument is unavailable while the problem is investigated.
3 Jul 2024: The ep09 (z-band) camera on MuSCAT4 has accumulated moisture, which is condensing on the camera's window.
5 Dec 2024: The science fiber to the NRES spectrograph is broken. The break occurred when multiple cables were stretched during telescope/dome maintenance on Nov 6. The NRES unit is unavailable for science observations until a new fiber can be fabricated and installed.
3 Dec 2024: We've discovered that recent observations show no signal in the science fiber. NRES observations are suspended until we can track down the source of the problem.
19 Nov 2024: The introduction of some additional IT security measures intermittently blocked communications between HQ and the Observatory. Several scheduled observations were not executed.
18 Nov 2024: Problems with a some sensor caused several observations to be aborted when the dome closed.
12 Nov 2024: On the final day+night of renovations at Wise Observatory, the dome was kept closed (perhaps to let the paint dry?).
6 Nov 2024: Technical problems with the telescope and dome will prevent observations tonight.
4 Nov 2024: The renovation of the Wise Observatory dome has begun. Nighttime observations continue.
10 Jul 2024: The NRES unit was offline. There was a problem getting the camera shutter to open during flat field observations.
17 Jan 2025: A problem with a router knocked out observations for most of this night. Cycling the power recovered the switch.
9 Jan 2025: Tonight, the telescope in Dome A is stuck on the pitch axis. (The Dome C telescope is available again.)
8 Jan 2025: The telescope in Dome C is stuck on the pitch axis limit and is unavailable for science observations tonight.
19 Dec 2024: Because of intermittent problems with the NRES acquisition camera on the Dome C telescope, the feed for the CPT-NRES unit was switched to the Dome B telescope.
11-12 Dec 2024: The fa14 camera (on the 1-meter telescope in Dome A) warmed-up and was not available for science observations.
5-11 Nov 2024: The backend camera of the NRES spectrograph warmed-up.
30 Oct 2024: The telescopes in Domes B and C are available for science observations.
25 Oct 2024: The Dome A telescope is available for science observations again. Cloudy skies are preventing us from completing the post-maintenance checkout of the Dome B and C telescopes.
15 Oct 2024: The telescope in Dome C has been taken offline for service.
13 Oct 2024: The telescope in Dome A has been taken offline for service.
12 Oct 2024: The LCO engineering team has arrived on site. The telescope in Dome B has been taken offline for service. Science operations with this telescope are suspended.
21-26 Sep 2024: The pointing of the 1-meter telescope in Dome B was accidentally corrupted, so the targets of science images are not in the fields-of-view. The hours deducted for observations made during this interval have been refunded.
6 Aug 2024: The fa01 Sinistro camera (on the telescope in Dome B) is available for science observations again.
11 Jul 2024: All instruments have recovered from the power outage with the exception of the fa01 Sinistro in Dome B. The crate that powers the camera electronics has malfunctioned and must be replaced. The entire site is still closed because of bad weather.
8 Jul 2024: Winter weather has struck the SAAO, triggering a power outage, and causing ice to build up on our weather station. Observations are not possible until the site thaws (and the skies clear).
20 Jan 2025: Both 1-meter telescope enclosures (Domes A & B) are having problems moving. Science observations with these telescopes are suspended until the domes are repaired.
19 Jan 2025: Dome B (the enclosure) stopped moving for the first part of the night, preventing observations with the 1-meter telescope.
14-22 Nov 2024: The CaNaPy experiment will be pointing a high-power laser into the sky at targets above Teide Observatory. Please let science-support@lco.global know if your LCO observations are affected.
5-10 Nov 2024: We were (again) having problems maintaining power at the site. Observations were not possible while the problem was under investigation.
5-14 Oct 2024: Power problems prevented observations with all of our telescopes.
3 Oct 2024: Communications to the sq32 camera (on the 0m4a telescope) have been interrupted. Observations are not possible until the problem is fixed.
28-29 Sep 2024: Problems with the domes prevented science observations for much of the weekend. The telescope in Dome B was offline for both nights; the telescope in Dome A only on the second night.
15 Sep 2024: Dome B was stuck. The telescope in Dome B could not make science observations on this night.
2 Aug 2024: The fa20 Sinistro camera is available for science observations again.
11 Jul 2024: The fa20 Sinistro camera on the telescope in Dome A has warmed up. The camera is not available for science observations.
1-2 Feb 2025: The 1-meter telescope in Dome B was unavailable for most of these nights. An intermittent problem with telescope collimation is causing comatic PSFs in images. The problem is under investigation. If you see comatic stars in your Dome B (fa04 camera) images, please report them to science-support@lco.global.
16-23 Jan 2025: The fa09 camera within the NRES unit warmed up. NRES observations were suspended.
8-14 Jan 2025: The fa15 Sinistro camera (on the 1-meter telescope in Dome A) warmed-up. This telescope was not available for science observations.
31 Dec 2024 - 6 Jan 2025: The telescope in Dome C was stuck on both axes. We believe that this condition was ultimately caused by power fluctuations across CTIO.
10 Jan 2025: A power outage knocked out an electronics crate that controls communications with the NRES Acquisition and Guide Unit (AGU) on the 1-meter telescope in Dome B. No NRES observations are possible until the problem is diagnosed and fixed.
21 Nov 2024: The NRES unit is available for science observations again.
18 Nov 2024: It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, the power went out! (For about 2 hours.) The NRES camera (fa17) warmed-up. The site staff reports that the surge when the power restored fried the power supply to the camera controller. NRES observations are not possible until a new power supply is installed.
29 Oct - 14 Nov 2024: The focus mechanism of the telescope in Dome A stopped obeying commands. The telescope was unavailable until one of the secondary mirror control mechanism could be swapped.
12 Sep 2024: A communications interruption prevented observations with the telescope in Dome B.
23 Aug 2024: We are now calculating the site's sky brightnesses, allowing the acquisition of flat fields to resume.
13 Aug 2024: The sky brightness sensor on the site's weather station failed. No new flat fields are being acquired.
14 Jul 2024: There are problems with the roll axis of the 1-meter telescope in Dome A. Science observations with this telescope are suspended for tonight.
20 Feb 2025: The filter insertion mechanism in MuSCAT3's zs band (ep05 camera) has been fixed. The z-narrow and filter is available for science observations again.
9 Feb 2025: There's a problem with one of the filter insertion mechanisms on MuSCAT3. As a temporary remedy, we have fixed the zs filter in the optical path. The z-narrow filter is not available until the filter slide is repaired.
1-2 Feb 2025: Following the winter storm that pummeled the islands on Jan 29-31, water seeped in (or was blown in) to the clamshell enclosure and pooled in the well below the 2-meter telescope. The telescope was not available while we worked to remove the water.
24-25 Aug 2024: The site was closed down because tropical storm "Hone" battered the islands.
23-25 Jul 2024: All images from the 0m4c telescope (sq40 camera) are blank! The problem is under investigation.
23 Jul 2024: Our site has switched from generator power back to grid power.
11 Jul 2024: Another wildfire in the Kula area resulted in a regional power outage. Our site will operate on generator power until the wildfire is contained and grid power is restored.
7 Jul 2024: A wildfire in the Kula area of Maui triggered a manual power shutoff on the Haleakala summit. Our site continued operating on generator power.