Hi Armin and Manuel. Here's my LDSS3 notes, please let me know if you have any questions. We use the VPH_ALL grating. We use this grating because it has the best combination of wavelength coverage and throughput. We use the CENTER SLIT POSITION (for the slit) because it has the best balance for QE across the CCD. Afternoon: Decide on subraster and measure slit position. Early Evening: spectroscopic standard stars Nighttime: science observations and Flats Catalog: use the example from http://www.lco.cl/telescopes-information/magellan/instruments-1/observing-catalogs-1/observing-catalogs FYI... Clay phone number is (from USA): 626-310-1230 001 sn2006jd 08:02:07.43 +00:48:31.5 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 002 sn2008bi 08:35:53.39 +00:42:33.1 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 003 sn2008ae 09:56:03.20 +10:39:58.8 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 004 sn2007ux 10:09:19.98 +14:59:32.8 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 005 sn2008bt 10:50:16.88 -12:06:32.0 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 006 sn2007sr 12:01:52.80 -18:58:21.7 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 007 sn2008ar 12:24:37.92 +10:50:17.4 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 008 sn2004gk_host 12:25:33.23 +12:15:40.1 2000.0 0 0 88.3 OFF 0 0 0 0 0 0 009 sn2007rw 12:38:03.64 -02:15:40.1 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 010 sn2008aq 12:50:30.42 -10:52:01.4 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 011 sn2006ck_host 13:09:40.42 -01:02:57.2 2000.0 0 0 11.0 OFF 0 0 0 0 0 0 012 sn2008cd 13:15:01.75 -15:57:06.8 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 sn2007gx_host 17:18:51.49 +22:47:16.6 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 sn2008bk 23:57:50.42 -32:33:21.5 2000.0 0 0 -62.6 HRZ 0 0 0 0 0 0 finders: http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/~pchallis/armin.html notes: most interesting objects: sn2006jd IIB 3x300 seconds R=~18.5 Currently SN is smashing into H envelope. Lots of emission lines. (3x300 because we don't want to saturate the H alpha line, but want to get flux on the faint emission lines...) sn2007rw IIb, another interacting supernova. 3x600 seconds R=~19.0 sn2004gk_host,sn2006ck_host,sn2007gx_host 3x900 seconds take acq image of 30 seconds, then center on galaxy. Catalog has the correct angle. exposures 3x900 seconds for each host. sn2008bk one of our swift SNe. R=???? (might be difficult to figure out exactly which object...) might be available during morning twilight. secondary objects (in order of interest !!!): sn2007sr Ia-normal R=~18.0 1x900 sec, lots of data, now ~5 months sn2008ae Ia-Pec R=~19.0 1x900 sec, lots of data, now +2 months sn2008bi Ia-91bg R=~18.0 1x900 sec, some data, now + 1 month sn2008ar Ia-normal R=~18.0 1x900 sec, lots of data, now +2 months sn2007ux Ia-normal R=~19.0 1x900 sec some data, now ~4 months sn2008bt Ia-91bg R=~17.5 1x600 sec not much data, now +1 month sn2008aq II/IIb R=~18.0 1x600 sec, some data, now ~2 months standard stars: http://www.eso.org/sci/observing/tools/standards/spectra/ (use catalog from operator, because it has the proper motion !!) evening twlight standards LTT 3218 RA 08 DEC -32 V 11.8 exposure time 20 seconds blueish LTT 3864 RA 10 DEC -35 V=12.2 exposure time 20 seconds RED STAR morning: EG274 BLUE STAR R 16 23 D -39, V=11.0 exposure time 10 seconds LTT 7379 RED STAR RA 18 DEC -44 V=10.0 exposure time 5 seconds USE the hamuy star catalog.. because it has the correct proper motion ! Parallactic angle !!!!! remember to ask the operator to make sure the rotator is set to the Parallactic angle. (I didn't do this once and its really makes a huge difference in the flux calibration !!! Slit: 1.00" ( we don't use the narrowist slit even on the best nights, the telescope doesn't point perfectly so it takes more time to make sure the obejct is in the narrowist slit. The 1" list doesn't add that much extra light (especially during dark time).) Don't use more than one slit, it takes too much extra time for calibarions. Subraster: 1 2064 1500 2800 (This is close to getting the entire 4 sections of the long slit) no need to ever change this. You should see the yellow boxes on the quick tool match slits. This subraster includes everything in the X direction (wavelength) and part of the Y direction (spatial). binning: 1x1 readout: slow for everything. Flats: Lamp Quartz high 5 seconds. we don't take flats in the afternoon. Because of the fringing we use the flats taken about the same time as the observations. after each science exposure. take 3 flats (NO HENEAR). its pretty quick. A total of 3 per target is fine. Henear: the LDSS3 wavelengths don't change over the course of the night, so just take one or two at the beginning of the night and maybe one at the last target exposure time: 2 seconds. To be done in the afternoon: measure params for ltoslit and lcobject make an image of the slit in GUI: 1 second exposure. 1.00 center slit no grating. no filter. (I think the scattered light in the dome is enough...) the IRAF task "lstitch" combined the 2 CCD images into 1 fits image. you can use iraf imexam "j" I think to get the centering of the slit. jimexam Parameters for line 1D gaussian fit plots kimexam Parameters for column 1D gaussian fit plots For 1 object at a time, We use a Y spatial position of 2100. This is the best place on the CCD for 1 object. It in the center of one of the slits. Y=2100 now enter the x,y slit position into "ltolist" and "lcobject" for any object: slew to catalog object ltoslit wait for guiding and SH take acquisition image take acq in r' (exptime depends on bightness) then run lstitch run lcobject "Do you want to SKIP the measurement of the slit ?" answer: YES (because you already did this in the afternoon, and lcobject has the correct parameters) "Did you just acquire the object ?" answer: NO, because you are using ltoslit. Then the task lcobject will show you an image in ds9 centered on your x,y lcobject parameters. i.e. the Supernova should be near the center of the ds9 image. Adjust gray levels as needed. select SN with cursor or centroid (m). Double check the pick circle is centered around the SN. If the slew if > 10" then you'll need another acquisition image and repeat lcobject. This doesn't really hurt, its just an extra minute and it is important that the target is really in the slit !!!! If the slew is < 10", then (The telescope usually does a good job of correctly slewing and putting the object into the slit when the slew is less than 10 arcseconds. Also, we're using a wide slit 1.00"... if we were using 0.75" then we would be more picky about the size of the final slew into the slit.) Then set in the GUI: put in grating - VPH_ALL, filter - CLEAR, aperture - 1.00 center slit, readout slow take science exposure 900 seconds. then put in flatfield screen take 3 flats 5 seconds and 1 henear arc 2 seconds summary of observing sequence: slew to catalog object ltoslit wait for guiding and SH take acquisition image r' 1 second (or more for sne) lstitch lcobject if slew > 10", repeat acquisition. if slew < 10", then proceed with science exposures. xx minute science exposure xx minute science exposure xx minute science exposure 3 flats 5 second each