COJ
TLV
CPT
TFN
LSC
ELP
OGG
8 Jul 2024: We have discontinued the practice of acquiring ThAr calibration lamp exposures concurrently with NRES science exposures. These spectra were not being used by the BANZAI-NRES pipeline.
23 Apr 2024: We are processing data with a new version of BANZAI. This version makes two improvements over the Feb 22 version:
6 Mar 2024: We have switched BANZAI back to a version that uses SEP. The newer version with photutils worked slower than expected, and at times of high volume, the pipeline would back up. We will re-deploy the photutils version after we've streamlined the code.
22 Feb 2024: The BANZAI pipeline now uses astropy's photutils package for source extraction and photometry instead of SEP. Also, the source catalogs (i.e. the CAT extensions of the FITS files) now include saturated sources, which are flagged with a value of 4.
4 Dec 2023: The Visibility Tool has been updated with the ability to look up the coordinates of catalogue targets. Also, the dates for seasonal and daily visibility can now be selected from a calendar.
3 Jul 2024: The ep09 (z-band) camera on MuSCAT4 has accumulated moisture, which is condensing on the camera's window.
19-21 Jun 2024: Time-out for the electronics panel in Dome A to be upgraded. The telescope was not available for science.
12-14 Jun 2024: An electronics panel in Dome B was upgraded. The telescope was unavailable for science observations during the upgrade.
10 Jun 2024: After various delays for both technical and meteorological reasons, the telescope in Dome A is available for science observations.
15 May 2024: New encoders have been installed on the 1-meter telescope in Dome A. The telescope will be unavailable until the pointing of the telescope has been established.
1 May 2024: Quick action has restored the coolant flow to the MuSCAT4 cameras. The instrument is available for science observations again.
30 Apr 2024: The temperature of the MuSCAT4 cameras is erratic. We have disabled MuSCAT4 until the problem(s) with the cameras are fixed.
30 Apr 2024: The guide camera on the Dome B telescope has been restored. Guided observations are possible again.
23 Apr 2024: The motion controller on the guide camera on the 1-meter telescope in Dome B is broken. The telescope cannot make guided observations until the guide camera is repaired.
18 Apr 2024: We have worked out a way to operate the site safely without requiring comms to the UPS. We are resuming science operations.
12 Apr 2024: We've lost communication with the facility's Uninterruptible Power Supply. For the safety of our hardware, we are keeping the site closed until the UPS can be inspected and comms restored. (The weather is bad, anyway.)
29 Mar 2024: The computer controlling the sq37 camera (on the 0m4b telescope) continues to behave erratically, which interrupt operations. The telescope had been taken offline until the problem is diagnosed and fixed.
21-24 Mar 2024: Cameras on the MuSCAT4 imager and the guide camera for the FLOYDS spectrograph warmed-up. The cooling system for these instruments was replaced, and the cameras are working again.
5 Mar 2024: The 1-meter telescope in Dome B is available for science observations again.
29 Feb 2024: New encoders have been installed on the telescopes in Dome B. This telescope will be offline until testing of the encoders is complete.
28 Feb 2024: The telescope in Dome A is available again.
25 Feb 2024: Some unknown power problem has knocked out the telescope in Dome A. No observations are possible until the problem can be investigated.
21 Feb 2024: The optical tube assembly, which moves the secondary mirror, of the 1-meter telescope in Dome A went offline. Science observations weren't possible on this night.
29 Jan 2024: The FLOYDS shutter was repaired and science observations are possible again.
24 Jan 2024: A problem with the shutter on the FLOYDS spectrograph has taken this instrument offline. Only MuSCAT4 observations are possible on the 2-meter telescope until the shutter can be repaired.
2-4 Jan 2024: The 1-meter telescope in Dome A was unavailable while the cryo system for the fa12 Sinistro camera underwent maintenance.
4 Dec 2023: The 1-meter telescope in Dome B is available for science observations again.
10 Jul 2024: The NRES unit was offline. There was a problem getting the camera shutter to open during flat field observations.
28 Feb - 3 Mar 2024: Communications are getting blocked, preventing the observing schedule from updating. The IT teams at LCO and Wise Observatory are diagnosing the problem.
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).
30 May 2024: We've figured out a workaround for the power problem. Science observations can resume.
26 May 2024: There's a problem supplying power to the telescopes. No observations are possible until the problem is resolved and we get reliable power.
8 May 2024: The sq39 is now cleared for science observations.
30 Apr 2024: A new QHY600 camera, sq39, was installed on the 0.4m telescope. The commissioning procedure will take a few clear nights to complete.
22 Apr 2024: A power supply on our weather station failed. Observations were not possible on this night.
14 Feb 2024: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again!
9 Feb 2024: The telescope in Dome C is available for science observations again. The NRES spectrograph is still not available.
6 Feb 2024: Another power outage! Several problems will need to be fixed before full science operations are restored. The telescope in Dome C is offline.
4 Feb 2024: Site recovery following yesterday's power outage. Not all telescopes/instruments are available tonight.
3 Feb 2024: Power outage at the SAAO. No observations are possible.
27 Jan 2024: The NRES unit underwent erratic temperature regulation and was shut down. The spectrograph will be enabled again when it has cooled and stabilized.
19 Dec 2023: The ef02 guide camera on the telescope in Dome A is offline because of a power problem. Guided observations with this telescope is not possible until this problem can be investigated.
12 Dec 2023: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again.
2 Dec 2023: The temperature in the NRES igloo is unstable. The spectrograph is unavailable until it is cool and stable 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.
29 May 2024: Dome B has been repaired, and science observations have resumed.
26 May 2024: The problems with Dome B surfaced again. This telescope is, again, unavailable until we get the dome fixed.
22-23 May 2024: The Dome B telescope was taken offline. The problem was with the motion of the dome, not the telescope.
27 Mar 2024: Dome B is not opening/closing properly. This telescope is not available for science observations until the problem with the dome is understood and fixed.
25 Mar 2024: Teide Observatory has re-opened.
22 Mar 2024: Teide Observatory is closed because of a snowstorm.
14 Mar 2024: We've lost communications with the focus unit in the 0m4b telescope. This telescope is unavailable for science observations until we figure out the problem.
10 Dec 2023: The 0m4a telescope (sq32 camera) is now available for science observations.
6 Dec 2023: The 0m4b telescope (with the sq33 camera) is available for science observations again.
1 Dec 2023: We've lost communications with the sq33 camera on the 0m4b telescope. No science observations are possible until comms are restored.
18 May 2024: A new acquisition camera (ak20) for NRES was installed on the telescope in Dome C.
12-16 May 2024: The telescope in Dome A is unavailable for science while we diagnose the problem with the dome positioning (see below).
25 Apr 2024: NRES is available for science again.
24 Apr 2024: The site experiences a power outage at the end of the night. The NRES camera warmed-up, so NRES will be unavailable for a few nights until the camera is cooled and tested.
20 Apr - 12 May 2024: On these nights, a problem with the motion of Dome A was causing many observations at high airmass (i.e. low altitude) to be either partially or completely obscured. If you acquired images with the Dome A telescope on these nights, and your target was at an altitude < 45°, please inspect your images. If the stars have peculiar PSFs or the images are blank, contact science-support@lco.global for a refund of observing time.
18 Apr 2024: The acquisition camera for NRES on the Dome C telescope has failed. The input for NRES now comes from the telescope in Dome B.
25 Mar 2024: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again.
20 Mar 2024: The 0.4-meter telescope in Aqawan A, with the new sq34 camera, is available for science observations.
19 Mar 2024: The 1-meter telescope in Dome C is available for science observations.
18 Mar 2024: The maintenance trip continues, but the first telescope is available for science observations again. It's the 0.4m telescope in Aqawan B, with the new sq35 QHY600 camera.
10 Mar 2024: The maintenance trip is in full swing. The telescope in Dome B has been taken offline to service the camera (fa04) and install the new mirror cover. No science observations (except for ASAS-SN) are currently possible from this site.
6 Mar 2024: The LCO engineering team has arrived on site. A number of observing resources have been taken offline:
19 Feb 2024: The fa15 Sinistro camera (Dome A telescope) is available for science observations again.
13 Feb 2024: The 1-meter telescopes in Domes B & C were unavailable on this night because of an IT problem.
11 Feb 2024: The fa15 Sinistro camera warmed-up again and is unavailable for science observations.
2-5 Feb 2024: More problems with the Aqawan A enclosure. Observations with these telescopes were suspended.
30 Jan 2024: The fa15 Sinistro camera (on the 1m telescope in Dome A) warmed-up and was unavailable for a night.
26 Jan 2024: Because of a problem with the shutters on Aqawan A, observations with the telescopes inside this enclosure were suspended for the night.
8 Dec 2023: The 0m4a telescope in Aqawan A is available for science observations again.
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.
25-26 Jun 2024: The primary mirrors of both 1-meter telescopes were cleaned.
20-21 Jun 2024: An engineering team is at the site. The Dome A telescope is unavailable while a new mirror cover is installed.
3 Jun 2024: The telescope in Dome B was offline because of a problem moving the dome.
15-17 May 2024: We lost reliable communication with sq31 QHY camera (on the 0m4a telescope). The telescope was unavailable for two nights.
25 Mar 2024: Power to the guide camera on the Dome B telescope has been restored, but there are still problems with the power supplies. Guided observations are possible again. The power supply will be replaced next week.
15 Mar 2024: Our full bandwidth to the site has been restored, but power strips in Dome B have malfunctioned, which will prevent us from making observations with this telescope.
13-14 Mar 2024: An unknown IT problem has crushed our bandwidth to/from the site, and observations were not possible on these nights.
29 Feb 2024: The focus of the guide camera on the Dome A telescope is unstable. Until this camera can be replaced or repaired, observations that require guiding will be scheduled on other telescopes.
19-20 Feb 2024: The computer controlling the NRES spectrograph was offline because of a failed power supply.
22 Jan 2024: The core computer has been replaced, and the telescopes are operational again. (Unfortunately, the weather is still bad.)
14 Jan 2024: The site's core computer is damaged. Observations are suspended until the computer can be repaired. (Weather is awful, so we wouldn't be observing anyway.)
18 Dec 2023: The fa08 Sinistro camera is available for science observations on the Dome B telescope.
17 Dec 2023: The fa16 Sinistro camera is now available for science observations on the 1-meter telescope in Dome A.
10 Dec 2023: A team has arrived on site to address multiple maintenance tasks. The fa05 Sinistro camera will be removed from the 1-meter telescope in Dome A.
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.
28-30 May 2024: A disk failed on one of the site's computers. Observations were not possible while the computer was repaired.
27 May 2024: Both the 0m4b telescope and the 0m4c telescope malfunctioned on the same day! Neither telescope is available for science observations.
29 Apr 2024: A new guide camera for FLOYDS was installed on the 2-meter telescope. Camera testing will occupy the first part of the night.
20-22 Mar 2024: There was a fault with the hydraulic system that supports the 2-meter telescope.
17 Mar 2024: The 0m4c telescope, with the sq40 QHY600 camera, is available for science observations.
15 Feb 2024: The 0m4b DeltaRho telescope, with the sq30 QHY600 camera, is now available for science observations.
20 Jan 2024: Science observations with the 2-meter telescope have resumed.
12 Jan 2024: Our site manager reports: "The storm has impacted the site and utility power is offline. Our generator is currently running to allow the site to be accessed remotely. The Hawaiian Electric are investigating the outage but we are told to '... make arrangements for an extended outage.'"
8 Jan 2024: The site has been secured to face the threat of the impending storm. Observations are suspended until the storm passes.
12 Dec 2023: The DeltaRho telescopes have been installed in the clamshell.
10 Dec 2023: Focus on the MuSCAT3 cameras has been improved, and the instrument is available for science observations again.
7 Dec 2023: The 0m4 telescopes have been powered down so that the electrical panels can be upgraded. These telescopes will be unavailable for several nights.
3 Dec 2023: The storm has passed, and the site is open again. The MuSCAT3 camera is still offline. The narrow-band filters have been installed, but the camera focus must be improved before science observations commence.