European Southern Observatory New Technology Telescope

General :
Observations :
Operations :

Night Operation Procedures

This procedure explains how to use the fitslist program to create Observing Log Files, and to list the content of directories. Fitslist supposedly supports all NTT instruments in all modes.

The program source and executables are on wg5ops, in   ~nttmgr/fitslist/ .  It is also linked to ~nttastro/bin/fitslist.

1. Operation

To run fitslist

• Create a window as nttastro@wg5ops  (either from the [ntt xterm] mouse menu,
  or with rlogin wg5ops -l astro

• If needed (e.g with rlogin), set the DISPLAY environment 
  (it will work without it, but it works better with a DISPLAY):

export DISPLAY=wsusi:1.0
 
• go to the directory where the data are:

cd /data/raw/1998-07-05

For automatic logging:

• fitslist -e
to edit the log file header (names, date...); the program will pop-up an editor window; fill the information then save and exit (you can do both by typing   [Alt][F4] )
• fitslist -i
for the automatic, interactive filling of the log: for the first real image of each template (i.e. not a test), it pops up an editor window with the info on that file. You can add comments (one or more lines, ending with a [Enter] ), then save and exit ( [Alt][F4] ).   If you want, you can wait the end of the template to fill the comments and save.  If you don't want to add comments, just exit.

To (re)start  the automatic log

• If needed, edit the header with fitslist -e
• Get your window's identifier, and the filename of the logsheet:  fitslist -who

(this identifier defines on which window you work, so it is different for every window).
• Depending on the situation:
• if the log of the begining of night is not available, create it

fitslist EMMI*fits > /data/raw/dataLog/flLog.xxxxxx
(replacing flLog.xxxx by what was give by fitslist -who)
• if the log file already exist, but has another identifier, change the name:

mv flLog.xxxold  flLog.xxxnew
(flLog.xxxnew is the name given by fitslist -who ; it is different for every window)
• Restart the automatic logging:   fitslist -i

To create a log file of existing images:

fitslist *.fits :   creates a log of all existing *fits files, show it on the screen. You can specify one or several files, or use wildcards.

 

To print the log file, pipe the result to a file ( fitslist *fits > mylog.dat ); you can then print the file either directly or with printlog mylog.dat  (cf below)

 

To create a log (spy) window

• fitslist -spy flLog.xxxx    where flLog.xxx is the file that you want to spy.

To modify or search a log file:

• fitslist -edit flLog.xxxx  will open the file in a editor window. You can use the [search] or modify the log. Be sure to save and exit this editor before saving the header of a new file that would arrive in another editor window (otherwise, the log file will be screwed up!).  Note that the logfile displayed in the "spy" window will not be modified. You can restart a new spy window to get the changes.

To print a log file:

On nttastro@wg5ops, a printlog command has been defined:
printlog flLog.98-11-21.wemc1_pts5

2. Log File

Headers

===============================================================================
EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY                        New Technology Telescope
                                 Observing Log
Date: 1998-08-20                             Observer: S. Zaggia
DayOp: M. Pizarro / G. Martin                        NightOp: H.Nunez
===============================================================================
 

It is then followed by an (very) short explanation of the different log lines:
===============================================================================
Observation name
<------- File name -------->      <--Program-->        <-Template->
ExpTim      <-- RA --> <-- Dec -->   <-- LST--> <-- UTC-->  <Airm> <Rot> <Pra>
Side Slit2      Filter     Grism         Slit1    Grating     WaveL   SlFilt
Detector
===============================================================================
 

Body of the log

_______________________________________________________________________________
SUSI_PAVO1_FI_06_11

1st line: the name of the OB.

2: Archive filename, program number, exposure type (SCIENCE, CALIB, FLAT...), and original filename

3: exp.time, RA, Dec, ST, UT, airmass, rotator angle, paralactic angle

4: Instrument (or mode), and optical elements in the beam (see below)

5: CCD (or IR array) read-out mode, bin x and y, size x and y

for the next exposures of the same template, only the files names (line 2) and epoch and position (line 3) lines are repeated.

and so on till the end of the Template.

Examples for different modes

Red:  slit#5.0   Free       Gr#2

EMMI RILD: Starplate, Filter, Grism

Red:             Free       Gr#2        0.5 294.9 Eche#14       -1.0nm ND0.5#66

EMMI REMD: Filter, Grism, slit width and length (arcsec), grating, central wavelength (nm, -1 for echelle), and below slit filter.

Special cases

a. Test exposures

in this example, the 2 first exposure (FF test) are just mentioned; note that the first real exposure has the fully detailed log, the following have only the file and epoch lines.
 

b. DIMD exposures

_______________________________________________________________________________
Test-DIMDCT01
ONTT.1998-08-17T18:38:23.990  59.A-0745     CALIB     DIMD2CT01.3             4
   0.01s    11:36:03.0 -28:32:41.0   11:39:08.0 18:38:19.0   1.000    2.  180.0
Blu:             U#602                                        3252.9nm ND0.5#662
CCD: normal    1  1    1124  1024
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ONTT.1998-08-17T18:38:34.340  59.A-0745     CALIB     DIMD1CT01.3             4
Red:             Free       Gr#2        0.5 294.9 Eche#14       -1.0nm ND0.5#66
CCD: normal    1  1    0100  0100
_______________________________________________________________________________

Remarks:

•  For bugs/suggestions/etc, pls contact me (ohainaut@sc.eso.org)

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