Last Update: 6^th September 2023

For Users of the Nobeyama 45-m Telescope

Rules of the Operation of the Nobeyama 45-m Telescope

Rules for Suspension of the Observation

For the weather and instrumental reasons, the observatory demands a suspension of the operation. If the observer encounters these situations, please stop the observation and follow the instruction. For each case, make sure that

• the telescope is parked as the direction of (AZ, EL)=(140 deg, 11 deg).
  • For observations in Sep. and Oct., please set to EL=85 deg.
• the message of the suspension of the operation and its reason is posted on #ObsMessages channel at Rocket.Chat
• the "LOCK" button on the top left corner of the Nobeyama 45m Radio Telescope Console (shown in the NRO_RemoteObs_3 viewer) is pressed
  (The antenna lock can be recovered if you press the "Release" button on the window)

The observer can leave the remote site after these three procedures above are properly executed.

The following rules are the criteria and the instructions for the suspension of the operation:

1. Strong Wind
   • When maximum wind speed exceeds 20 m s^-1 or greater, stop the observation immediately. Please park the telescope at zenith (EL=85 degree) position until you leave. Please park the telescope at (Az, El)=(140 deg, 11 deg) when you leave.
     • For observations in Sep. and Oct., please set to EL=85 deg.
   • In case of strong wind, the window of Weather Alert (strong wind), appears on the COSMOS console, which is shown at the NRO_RomoteObs_1 viewer.
   • The operation must suspend until 30 minutes have passed after the wind whose speed was faster than 20 m s^-1 blew.
   • Recent 30 minutes wind speed can be checked at Wind speed 30 min in the NRO Weather Condition page.
2. Snowfall
   • If it snows, the observer must stop the observation immediately, and park the antenna in a safe position at (Az, El)=(140 deg, 11 deg). And then, set the antenna to STBY mode.
   • In that case, please post a comment that you will not observe due to snow on #ObsMessages channel at Rocket.Chat.
   • You can leave the observation room (or shutdown the remote operation) after above operations.
   • The snowfall can be judged at the 45m Snow Monitor (can only be accessed via NRO VPN or inside NAOJ). In case of snow, the window of Weather Alert appears on the COSMOS console, which is shown at the NRO_RomoteObs_1 viewer.
   • Do not operate the telescope until the observatory staff allows to start.
3. High Risk of a Frozen Gear
   • If the anemometer freezes in dense fog and below freezing point (i.e., the wind direction is not changed although the wind speed indicates faster than 0-1 m s^-1), the gear of the telescope is in a risk of frozen. In that case, the observer shall stop the operation and leave the elevation angle unchanged.
4. Earthquake
   
   • When the observer feels the earthquake during the observation, all he/she has to do first is to protect one's body.
   • If the earthquake is detected, the window of Earthquake Alert appears on the COSMOS console, which is shown at the NRO_RomoteObs_1 viewer.
   • In that case, please stop observations immediately and follow the steps below:
   1. Check the seismic intensity (震度) of the Minamimaki village in the Nagano Prefecture from the website of Japan Meterological Agency (気象庁).
   2. If the seismic intensity is ≥ 4:
      Stop the telescope in that state. Report the situation on #ObsMessages channel at Rocket.Chat. Contact to the emergency number descrived at For Remote Observers page.
   3. If the seismic intensity is ≤ 3:
      Check the pointing accuracy.
      If the pointing accuracy is significantly worse (> 20 arcsec.) before the earthquake, stop obervations and report it to the #ObsMessages channel at Rocket.Chat and the emergency number descrived at For Remote Observers page.
      If the pointing accuracy is not changed significantly, you can continue observations.
      Report the situation on #ObsMessages channel at Rocket.Chat.
      
5. Other Reasons
   The observatory may suspend observations for other reasons.

Rules for the Operation at the End of Observations

• If there is no next observer at the end of observations, set the antenna to (Az, El)=(140 deg, 11 deg). Finally, set the antenna to STBY mode.
  • For observations in Sep. and Oct., please set to EL=85 deg.

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