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24 Feb 2025: For the QHY600 cameras on the DeltaRho telescopes, we have deployed a "sub_expose" option for observation requests. When selected, the sub-exposures are used to self-guide the telescope. The sub-exposures are stacked by summing the counts at each pixel, and only the final stacked images are transferred the Science Archive and BANZAI-processed. The self-guiding and simple stacking algorithms were created to compensate for the telescopes' poor tracking during longer exposure times. For a thorough description, please read the "Stacking of DeltaRho/QHY600 Sub-exposures" document, linked from the Documentation page.
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.
3 Apr 2025: The ep09 camera (for the z-band of MuSCAT4) has been refocussed. MuSCAT4 is now back to "full strength", with good cameras for all bands. ---- Also, the 0m4a telescope is available for science observations again. The moisture has been removed from the sq36 camera. The telescope has been recollimated.
26 Mar 2025: The refurbished camera (ep09) for the z-band of MuSCAT4 has been installed. Testing is in progress.
17-18 Mar 2025: A transient power problem took the safety system offline, and the clamshell enclosure was not able to open. Observations with the 2-meter and 0.4-meter telescopes were not possible.
28 Feb 2025: The 2-meter telescope is available for science observations again! Our site manager rigged a new temperature sensor in the oil tank; the output gets fed directly to the chiller controller.
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.
23 Apr 2025: The optical fiber was spliced by a Wise Observatory team. The fiber now transmits light to the camera again. We are scheduling tests to measure the throughput.
14 Apr 2025: We have started pumping down the NRES dewar in preparation for the fiber repair work.
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.
7 May 2025: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again.
2 May 2025: We've recovered control of the site, and all of LCO's instruments, with the exception of the NRES spectrograph, are available for science observations again.
29 Apr 2025: A combination of problems (router failure, air conditioner failure) has impaired operations, but ... it's cloudy and raining!
15 Apr 2025: The AK21 guide camera malfunctioned, so observations with the NRES spectrograph were not possible on this night.
1 Apr 2025: The 1-meter telescope in Dome C is available for science observations again!
10 Mar 2025: There's a problem with the secondary mirror control of the 1-meter telescope in Dome C. Observations with this telescope are currently not possible.
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.
28 Apr 2025: We lost communications with the observatory. This is likely a collateral effect of the power outage(s) on the Iberian peninsula.
24 Apr 2025: Communications to our observatory assets have been restored, and science observations have resumed. Unfortunately, there's still a problem communicating with the camera on the 0m4a telescope.
22-23 Apr 2025: A power outage knocked out our computers. Regional power has now been restored, but we're still investigating problems with our computers.
2 Apr 2025: Storm Nuria is hitting the Canary Islands. Our telescopes and enclosures have been "locked down". No science observations tonight.
13 Mar 2025: The 1-meter telescope in Dome B is available for science observations.
11 Mar 2025: The 1-meter telescope in Dome A is available for science observations again.
1-2 Mar 2025: Teide Observatory is closed because of a winter storm.
7 Mar 2025: The domes protecting the 1-meter telescopes have been repaired. Because the telescopes/instruments have been dormant for 6+ weeks, we will be testing them and acquiring new calibrations before we make them available for science.
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.
31 Mar 2025: The NRES spectrograph is available for science observations again.
25 Mar 2025: Cerro Tololo experienced a power outage. Because of the outage, the NRES igloo warmed-up, and the computer controlling the 0.4m telescope in Aqawan B has become unstable. The NRES spectrograph is offline.
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.
3 Apr 2025: A fiber cut in the vicinity of McDonald Observatory has interrupted communications with our site.
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.
25 Apr 2025: MuSCAT3 has been re-installed on the 2-meter telescope.
24 Apr 2025: The re-aluminized 2-meter mirror has been secured inside the telescope!
8 Apr 2025: The 2-meter telescope will be unavailable while the primary mirror is re-aluminized.
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.