Subject: Shutdown Status

From: elt@astro.Princeton.EDU

Submitted: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 18:09:32 -0400 (EDT)

Message number: 174 (previous: 173, next: 175 up: Index)

We are nearing the end of the engineering shutdown of the 3.5-m telescope.
Several factors have conspired which make it necessary to extend the
shutdown at least through the night of 30 September.  The PIs and observers
of science programs affected have already been personally notified.  Given
the vagaries of recent weather (e.g., hurricane Nora), it is difficult to
predict when the telescope will be ready for scientific observations--at
least two full nights of engineering time "on the sky" will be necessary to
recollimate, repoint, and check out other systems that have been worked on
during the shutdown.  The telescope will be returned to science use once we
determine its proper functioning, and additional notices to this effect
will be mailed to this distribution next week.  Investigators for science
programs that are scheduled beginning 1 October should stay on standby and
await further notification.

It is worth mentioning that some unexpected last minute problems were
encountered and remedied, which contributed to the delay in shutdown
completion.  On the other hand, we are hopeful that the long-standing
problem with the instrument rotator stalling has been cured, and some
mechanical and communication problems with DIS have been fixed.  These
items were not originally in the shutdown agenda, but have been addressed
nonetheless.  A full account of the shutdown accomplishments will be
forthcoming, and we look forward to a productive observing season in 4Q.

Ed Turner, Director

Bruce Gillespie, Site Operations Manager





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