NEWFIRM Manual

Here we describe the NEWFIRM observing GUI and discuss other information relevant for observing.

• Startup
  • NEWFIRM Observing GUI
  • NEWFIRM IRAF Interface
• Daytime Calibrations
• Telescope Pointing
• Telescope Focus
• Observing
• Shutdown

Startup:

NEWFIRM Observing GUI

• Open VNC viewers [NEWFIRM Obs and NEWFIRM IRAF and NEWFIRM NICC (optional)]
  • The NEWFIRM support scientist of Telescope Operations support staff will help
• Start NEWFIRM GUI in Obs VNC viewer

• Press "Start of Night"
  • This should open the environmental cover.

• Check that environmental cover is open on the NEWFIRM NICC vncviewer

• Turn on detector power

• Open filter tool

• Initialize filters
• Move filter position to "DARK" if the dark filter is not already in place
• Set Proposal ID (PropID)
  • This will load the proposal PI and co-Is
  • No images can be taken unless the PropID is set to a valid PropID
• Take a junk image to reset image counter/number
  • The image counter does not reset to 1 at the beginning of the night
  • Make sure dark filter is in place
  • Under Exposure Control:
    • Set Basename to "ajunk_"
    • Set Title to "Junk"
    • Set Exp. Time to "1.120"
    • Set Repeats to "0"
    • Set Coadds to "0"
    • Set Fowler to "1"
    • Set Sequence to "1"; This must be the last step.
    • Click "Expose"
    • The image counter will now be reset and calibration data will start with image number *0002*

NEWFIRM IRAF Interface

Daytime Calibrations

Telescope Pointing

Telescope Focus

Observing

Shutdown