Skip to content

Observatory Status

Siding Spring Observatory - NSW, Australia

COJ

Clamshell
2m
MuSCAT3 (mc04)
FLOYDS (en12)
0.4m A
QHY600 (sq36)
0.4m B
QHY600 (sq37)
Dome A
1m
Sinistro (fa12)
Dome B
1m
Sinistro (fa19)

Wise Observatory - Israel

TLV

Dome A
1m
NRES (nres-agu-ak15)
NRES Igloo

SAAO - Sutherland, South Africa

CPT

Dome A
1m
Sinistro (fa14)
Dome B
1m
Sinistro (fa01)
NRES (nres-agu-ak06)
Dome C
1m
Sinistro (fa06)
NRES (nres-agu-ak05)
Aqawan A
0.4m A
QHY600 (sq38)
0.4m B
FLI PL230 (ff13,14,15,16)
NRES Igloo

Teide Observatory - Tenerife, Spain

TFN

Dome A
1m
Sinistro (fa20)
Dome B
1m
Sinistro (fa11)
Aqawan A
0.4m A
QHY600 (sq32)
0.4m B
Focus unit issue since 2024-03-14
QHY600 (sq33)

CTIO - Region IV, Chile

LSC
Eng team on site for maintence since
2024-03-06

Dome A
1m
Re-commissioning since 2024-03-06
Sinistro (fa15)
Dome B
1m
Collimation, focusing since 2023-11-29
Sinistro (fa04)
NRES (nres-agu-ak17)
Dome C
1m
Sinistro (fa03)
Re-commissioning since 2024-03-06
NRES (nres-agu-ak02)
Aqawan A
0.4m A
DeltaRho installation since 2024-03-06
QHY600 (sq34)
0.4m B
FLI PL230 (ff05,06,07,08)
Aqawan B
0.4m A
DeltaRho installation since 2023-11-30
QHY600 (sq35)
0.4m B
FLI PL230 (ff09,10,11,12)
NRES Igloo

McDonald Observatory - Texas, USA

ELP

Dome A
1m
Sinistro (fa16)
NRES (nres-agu-ak16)
Dome B
1m
Sinistro (fa08)
NRES (nres-agu-ak18)
Aqawan A
0.4m A
QHY600 (sq31)
0.4m B
FLI PL230 (ff17,18,19,20)
ASAS-SN
NRES Igloo

Haleakala Observatory - Maui, USA

OGG

Clamshell
2m
MuSCAT3 (mc03)
FLOYDS (en06)
0.4m A
FLI PL230 (ff01,02,03,04)
0.4m B
QHY600 (sq30)
0.4m C
QHY600 (sq40)
Operational
Offline

Network-wide:

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.

2 Nov 2023: A software bug caused some images to be acquired with poor focus. We know of affected images from our sites in Chile (LSC), Texas (ELP), Maui (OGG), and Australia (COJ). If you have unusable out-of-focus data from this night, please contact science-support@lco.global.


Siding Spring

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.

3 Dec 2023: The 0m4b telescope (sq37 camera)

17 Nov 2023: The focus mechanism on the secondary mirror of the 2-meter telescope was stuck. Observations with the 2-meter telescope were suspended for the night.

14 Nov 2023: A problem with the electronics controlling the shutter and filterwheel for the fa19 camera has taken the Dome B telescope offline.

3-4 Nov 2023: A bushfire close to the Observatory forced all personnel to be evacuated, and all telescope domes were closed.

25 Oct 2023: The 0m4b telescope (with the sq37 camera) is now available for science observations.

19 Oct 2023: MuSCAT4 is released for science observations.

10-12 Oct 2023: A disk failure in the site's core computer prevented all telescopes from making science observations. (On Oct 11 & 12, the weather wasn't great, anyway.)

7 Oct 2023: The FLOYDS spectrograph is available for science observations again.

4 Oct 2023: MuSCAT4 has been attached to the 2-meter telescope.

1 Oct 2023: The Spectral camera has been removed, and the 2-meter telescope is no longer available for science observations while the MuSCAT4 instrument is installed.

30 Sep 2023: The Spectral camera on the 2-meter telescope is no longer available for observations.

27 Sep 2023: The 0m4a telescope is available for science observations again.

22 Sep 2023: The 0m4a telescope is not pointing correctly and has been taken offline.

19 Sep 2023: The 0m4b telescope (with the kb83 camera) has been removed. It will be replaced by a DeltaRho telescope.

18 Sep 2023: The 0m4a (DeltaRho!) telescope, with the sq36 QHY600 camera, is now available for science observations.

14 Aug 2023: The 0m4a Meade telescope (with kb26 SBIG) is being replaced by a DeltaRho telescope (with QHY600 camera). The telescope is unavailable for science observations until telescope/camera commissioning is completed.

Wise

28 Feb 2024: Communications are getting blocked, preventing the observing schedule from updating. The IT teams at LCO and Wise Observatory are diagnosing the problem.

15 Aug 2023: The problem with the telescope was an electrical limit switch that was triggered during maintenance work. The problem has been fixed.

10 Aug 2023: A problem (with the telescope mount?) is preventing the telescope from moving freely. The problem is under investigation.

Sutherland

14 Feb 2024: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again!

28 Sep 2023: After several days of correspondence with the NOIRLab's IT department, we have a secure and stable internet connection to the site. It will take several days for us to check out our computers and telescopes before we can resume science operations.

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.

13 Sep 2023: The NRES spectrograph is available again on the Dome C telescope. (It was offline because of a power outage on September 11.)

7-8 Sep 2023: There was a break in the fiber to the SAAO.

14-15 Aug 2023: The fiber connection to the SAAO has been severed.

Teide

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.

27 Nov 2023: The Dome B telescope is available for science observations again.

20 Nov 2023: The upper shutter on Dome B is not moving. The Teide staff have closed the dome manually. The 1-meter telescope in Dome B is not available for science observations until the shutter is fixed.

12 Nov 2023: The sq33 QHY600 camera, on the 0m4b telescope, is available for science observations.

11 Nov 2023: The engineering work has concluded. The telescopes in Dome A & B are available for science observations again.

6 Nov 2023: The sq32 QHY600 camera was installed on the 0m4a DeltaRho telescope. The sq33 QHY600 camera was installed on the 0m4b DeltaRho telescope. Commissioning is in progress.

1 Nov 2023: The upper shutter on Dome A was stuck open last night. The motor that drives the shutter is being examined. This telescope is unavailable for science observations until the shutter mechanism works properly.

30 Oct 2023: An engineering team has arrived at the site. The 0.4m telescopes are offline; they will be replaced by DeltaRho telescopes this week.

25 Sep 2023: The 1-meter telescope in Dome A is now available for science observations.

20 Sep 2023: The fa11 Sinistro camera (on the Dome B telescope) and the kb24 SBIG camera (on the 0m4b telescope) are now available for science observations.

13 Sep 2023: Post-wildfire, post-wildfire-cleanup tests of telescopes begin.

25 Aug 2023: An inspection of the site at Teide Observatory revealed that there's been no fire damage to LCO assets.

23 Aug 2023: The evacuation order has been lifted. The site is covered with ash, and the domes remain closed to protect the optics and electronics.

18 Aug 2023: Teide Observatory staff have been evacuated because of the fire. Operations at Teide Observatory have ceased until the site can be recovered.

17 Aug 2023: Smoke and ash from the approaching Arafo-Candelaria Fire has closed the observatory. Science operations are suspended.

Cerro Tololo

18 Mar 2024: The maintenance trip continues, but the first telescope is available for science observations again. It's the 0m4a 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:

  • Electronics panels in Dome A and Aqawan A are being upgraded.
  • The fa03 Sinistro camera (Dome C) has been warmed-up for servicing.

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.

30 Nov 2023: Now the focus mechanism on the 0m4a telescope in Aqawan B has malfunctioned, and this telescope is unavailable for science observations.

17 Nov 2023: The focus mechanism of the 0m4a telescope in Aqawan A appears to be stuck at a limit. This telescope is unavailable for science observations until the problem can be investigated.

5 Oct 2023: The 1-meter telescope in Dome B is now available for science observations.

2 Oct 2023: The 1-meter telescopes in Dome A and Dome C have started science observations.

30 Sep 2023: The 0m4a telescope in Aqawan A has started science observations.

29 Sep 2023: The 0m4a telescope in Aqawan B has commenced science observations.

25 Sep 2023: LCO has been granted limited internet access to CTIO again.

4 Aug 2023: Due to a cyberattack on the Gemini Observatories, the internet connection to CTIO was shut down as a preventive measure. The LCO telescopes should continue observations according to the last schedule that was sent from LCO HQ, however, we cannot monitor observations in real time.

1 Aug 2023: The CTIO site staff has replaced the focus assembly in the 0m4a telescope in Aqawan A. On-sky testing has begun.

McDonald

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.

30 Nov 2023: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations using the feed from the telescope in Dome A.

27 Sep 2023: Dome A has been repaired, and the 1-meter telescope is available for science observations again.

12 Sep 2023: The upper shutter on Dome A got stuck and wouldn't close when clouds rolled in. (Thanks to the McDonald Observatory staff for covering the 1m telescope with tarps in the middle of the night!!!) The Dome A telescope will remain offline until the upper shutter problem can be diagnosed and fixed. BUT ... the Dome B telescope is now available for science observations again.

8 Sep 2023: A new controller for the fa16 camera has been installed (to remove the intermittent banding). The camera is unavailable for science observations until testing is complete.

5 Sep 2023: Images from the fa16 Sinistro camera (on the Dome B telescope) intermittently show banding structure in the lower half.

29 Aug 2023: The Dome B 1m telescope, with the fa16 Sinistro camera, is now available for science observations.

24-25 Aug 2023: A power supply failed, making the two 1-meter telescopes inoperable.

13-18 Aug 2023: A science+engineering team was on-site. The encoders on the telescopes in Dome A & B have been upgraded.

1 Aug 2023: The fa16 Sinistro camera has been installed on the Dome B telescope, in place of the defunct fa07. Camera check-out is in progress.

Haleakala

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.

30 Nov 2023: The Haleakala site has been closed and secured because of the threat from the Kona Storm.

25 Nov 2023: MuSCAT3 has been removed from the 2-meter telescope so that narrow-band filters can be installed. FLOYDS is still available for science observations.

13-16 Oct 2023: A problem with the oil system (Friday the 13th strikes!) kept the 2-meter telescope offline.

25 Aug 2023: The 0m4c (DeltaRho) telescope, with the sq39 camera, is available for science observations again.

13 Aug 2023: Power has been restored to the observatory site. Operations commence tonight.

10 Aug 2023: The wildfires have spread to urban and residential areas of Maui. We do not know the status of the observatory site.

8 Aug 2023: High winds (Hurricane Dora is south of the Hawaiian Islands) have knocked-out power to the observatory. Several wildfires in the area are getting fanned by the winds.