ARC 3.5-m Instrument News Page

Apache Point Observatory
New Mexico, USA

KOSMOS

2024-03-18: Instrument is available for science.

2024-03-11: Instrument is available for science.

2024-03-04: Instrument is available for science.

2024-02-26: Instrument is available for science.

2024-02-19: Instrument is available for science.

2024-02-12: Instrument is available for science.

2024-02-05: Instrument is available for science.

2024-01-29: Instrument is available for science.

2024-01-22: Vacuum servicing complete. Instrument is available for science.

2024-01-21: Started Vacuum servicing today.

2024-01-19: Operating nominally. Pressures are in the high 10e-5torr. Vacuum will need servicing soon (this week).

2024-02-12: Operating nominally. Vacuum will need servicing soon, there have been several pressure alarms in the past 2 weeks.

2024-02-05: Operating nominally. Vacuum will need servicing soon, there have been several pressure alarms in the past 2 weeks.

2024-01-29: Operating nominally. Vacuum will need servicing soon, there have been several pressure alarms in the past 2 weeks.

2024-01-22: Operating nominally.

2024-01-15: Operating nominally.

2024-01-08: Operating nominally.

2024-01-02: Operating nominally.

2023-12-18: Operating nominally.

2023-12-11: Operating nominally. There was a report of the slitviewer camera having a sticky shutter this weekend with the extreme cold weather. Single report, didnot repeat the next night.

2023-12-04: Operating nominally.

2023-11-27: Operating nominally. There is some evidence that the wandering bias levels has become more apparent in images between the right and left amplifier.

2023-11-20: Operating nominally.

2023-11-13: Operating nominally.

2023-11-06: Operating nominally.

2023-10-30: Operating nominally.

2023-10-23: Operating nominally.

2023-10-16: The calstage failed last night. Repaired earlier today. The disperser wheel has been getting stuck changing between red/blue positions. It is not happening frequently enough that we have been able to correlate direction or instrument rotation effects. The observing specialists need to intervene.

2023-10-09: The disperser wheel has been getting stuck changing between red/blue positions. It is not happening frequently enough that we have been able to correlate direction or instrument rotation effects. The observing specialists need to intervene.

2023-10-02: The disperser wheel has been getting stuck changing between red/blue positions. The observing specialists need to intervene.

2023-09-25: The disperser wheel has been getting stuck changing between red/blue positions. The observing specialists need to intervene.

2023-09-18: The disperser wheel has been getting stuck changing between red/blue positions. The observing specialists need to intervene.

2023-09-11: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-09-04: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-08-28: Instrument is operating nominally. Vacuum was serviced during shutdown.

2023-07-14: Instrument is operating nominally. Vacuum pressure is running a bit soft. Raised the alarm setpoint, will warm bake out getter and cool during shutdown.

2023-07-10: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-07-03: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-06-26: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-06-19: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-06-12: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-06-05: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-05-30: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-05-22: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-05-15: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-05-08: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-04-24: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-04-17: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-04-10: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-04-03: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-03-27: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-03-20: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-03-13: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-03-06: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-02-27: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-02-20: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-02-13: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-02-06: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-01-30: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-01-23: Instrument is operating nominally.

2023-01-17: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-12-12: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-12-05: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-11-28: Instrument is operating nominally. There was a report this weekend of a small number (less than 5) of exposures with unusual noise that was bleeding into the overscan region.

2022-11-21: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-11-14: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-11-07: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-10-31: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-10-24: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-10-17: Instrument is operating nominally. Fixed many of the fits header items from the punch list..

2022-10-10: Instrument is operating nominally. Adjusted internal calibration lamp brightnesses further.

2022-10-03: Instrument is operating nominally. Adjusted internal calibration lamp brightnesses further.

2022-09-26: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-09-19: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-09-12: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-09-06: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter was relaced with a cold rated version over summer shutdown. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. Adjusted ND filter to a OD 0.9 before the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses. The punchlist has been updated on the KOSMOS instrument page.

2022-08-29: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter was relaced with a cold rated version over summer shutdown. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. Adjusted ND filter to a OD 0.9 before the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses. The punchlist has been updated on the KOSMOS instrument page.

2022-08-22: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter was relaced with a cold rated version over summer shutdown. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. Adjusted ND filter to a OD 0.9 before the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses. The punchlist has been updated on the KOSMOS instrument page.

2022-08-15: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-08-01: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-07-25: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-07-18: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-07-11: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-07-05: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-06-27: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at less frequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-06-20: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at infrequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-06-13: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at infrequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-06-06: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at infrequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-06-01: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at infrequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-05-23: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures but at infrequent intervals now we are in warmer weather. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-05-16: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter arrived endof last week. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-05-09: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter arrived endof last week. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. A user characterized the internal flat field lamps using the ND5 filter in filter wheel 2 and found lots of artifacts. We are discussing going back in again and adjusting the amount of ND material at the output of the integrating sphere for the Internal calibration brightnesses.

2022-05-02: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter on order. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. Internal calibration brightnesses with ND materialseems to have been straightened out.

2022-04-25: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter on order. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging. Internal calibration brightnesses with ND materialseems to have been straightened out.

2022-04-18: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter on order. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC software because of image write issues or exposures hanging.

2022-04-14: Instrument is operating nominally. The kcamera (slitviewer) shutter is still having intermittent failures. Replacement shutter on order. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC softwarebecause of image write issues or exposures hanging.

2022-04-04: Instrument is operating nominally. A small handful of instances which required restart of ICC softwarebecause of image write issues or exposures hanging.

2022-03-28: Instrument is operating nominally.

2022-03-21: Installed ND filter infront of the internal calibration source and a dimmer Quartz bulb. Still with the shortest expoures the red grism flats are too bright. Will try again soon.

2022-03-14: Several of the narrowest slits (widths less than 0.75 arcsec wide) as they are decommissioned for a new batch undergoing fabrication at UW. Installed blocking filters in the instrument. Installed a ND5 in the instrument.

2022-03-07: Recent reports from the observing specialists described obscurations appearing across numerous slits for the instrument. Upon further inspection (under a microscope) a variety of debris and glue residue was seen. The debris was able to be cleaned from away from each of the affected slits. The glue residue (a byproduct of the manufacturing process) is harder to remove and revealed a few errors in how these were made. The slits were again returned to service. As we approach spring dust, wind and moth seasons we ask observer to report sharp dips in their flat fields (spatial direction) that would indicate material obstructing the gap in the slit. Please report these right away to the Observing Specialist or Telescope Engineer for quick turn around.

2022-03-01: Recent reports from the observing specialists described obscurations appearing across numerous slits for the instrument. Upon further inspection (under a microscope) a variety of debris was seen. The debris was able to be cleaned from away from each of the affected slits. The slits were again returned to service. As we approach spring dust, wind and moth seasons we ask observer to report sharp dips in their flat fields (spatial direction) that would indicate material obstructing the gap in the slit. Please report these right away to the Observing Specialist or Telescope Engineer for quick turn around.

2022-02-28: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument. Some of those issues are actively being worked on this week. There is a recent issue with the kosmos slitviewer camera shutter. It is sticking intermittently. Replacement shutter for slitviewer with an extended temperature range on order.

2022-02-21: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument. Some of those issues are actively being worked on this week. There is a recent issue with the kosmos slitviewer camera shutter. It is sticking intermittently. Working with the manufacturer to find a replacement with an extended temperature range.

2022-02-14: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. The internal argon lamp was replaced mid last week (9th?). There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument. Some of those issues are actively being worked on this week. There is a recent issue with the kosmos slitviewer camera shutter. It is sticking intermittently. Working with the manufacturer to find a replacement with an extended temperature range.

2022-02-07: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. The internal argon lamp seems to be fluctuation indicating it is failing and may need to be replaced soon. There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument. There is a recent issue with the kosmos slitviewer camera shutter. It is sticking intermittently. Working with the manufacturer to find a replacement with an extended temperature range.

2022-01-31: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument. There is a recent issue with the kosmos slitviewer camera shutter. It is sticking intermittently. Working with the manufacturer to find a replacement with an extended temperature range.

2022-01-26: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. On Friday adjusted the guide camera zoom a second time to compromise the amount of illuminated field with the plate scale of the camera (for purposes of focus and guiding). There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument.

2021-12-13: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. On Friday adjusted the guide camera zoom a second time to compromise the amount of illuminated field with the plate scale of the camera (for purposes of focus and guiding). There are still a number of small issues to resolve, most in software and TUI controls of the instrument.

2021-12-13: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. This will be updated as issues are resolved.

2021-12-06: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. This will be updated as issues are resolved.

2021-11-29: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. This will be updated as issues are resolved.

2021-11-22: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. This will be updated as issues are resolved.

2021-11-15: The instrument continues to be at shared risk. Many of the uncovered issues with the instrument are documented on a punchlist on the APO webpage with other KOSMOS documentation. This will be updated as issues are resolved.

2021-11-08: A temporary cold weather shutter was installed but it has a slightly smaller FOV and cuts into the lengths or the upper and lower slits. UW TEG has a more permanent fix in the works with a full frame FOV shutter. Guiding is not fully working. There is a noticable instrument sag with rotation. Please take wavelength cals at various sky pointings. Instrument is shared risk.

2021-11-01: The shutter fails around 5 - 7C. UW TEG is working on a replacement. Guiding is not fully working. Instrument is shared risk.

2021-10-25: The shutter fails around 5 - 7C. UW TEG is working on a replacement. Guiding is not fully working. Instrument is shared risk.

2021-10-18: Compiling a punch list of daytime engineering tests, needed repairs and nice to haves after on sky testing. Instrument shutter seems to be the largest issue currently. The shutter fails around 5C. UW TEG is working on a replacement.

2021-10-11: Compiling a punch list of daytime engineering tests, needed repairs and nice to haves after on sky testing. Instrument shutter seems to be the largest issue currently. The shutter fails around 5C. UW TEG is working on a replacement.

2021-10-04: Started on sky commissioning this past weekend. Software development is on going and there is still no TUI release. Have made instrument blocks for spectra and imaging modes. Guide camera software is not working properly and guiding still is not working. However exposures of internal cal and truss lamps were taken, first light on a few targets were performed. Some issues with the calibration stage and shutter were encountered. Those details are being worked on. Much progress has been made the past few weeks integrating to the telescope and network.

2021-09-18: The spectragraph is scheduled to be delivered Monday. Tracking shows it is in El Paso, TX this morning. Much of the next 2 weeks will be unpacking, assembly and integration into the system. On sky commissioning will follow in October.