Last Update: 31st October 2022
The Nobeyama 45-m telescope can be remotely operated using four viewers: NRO_RemoteObs_1, NRO_RemoteObs_2, NRO_RemoteObs_3, and NRO_RemoteObs_4. For the users who will perform observations from the NAOJ Mitaka site, please see Remote Observations Manual for Users (From Mitaka) page. The observers from institutes in Japan can learn how to launch these viewers at Remote Observations Manual for Users (From Institute) page. Note that the links can be accessed after establishing the VPN connection or from the NAOJ network.
![]() NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer |
![]() NRO_RemoteObs_2 viewer |
![]() NRO_RemoteObs_3 viewer |
![]() NRO_RemoteObs_4 viewer |
The primary functions on the operation of the telescope is concentrated on the NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer.
Although you can see many windows and GUIs in the viewer, important items for observations are as follows:
The Nobeyama 45-m telescope is operated with the system named "COSMOS". You can run observing scripts via the COSMOS GUI which can be found at the NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer.
If the COSMOS GUI is not launched, please double-click the icon named "cosmos" on the desktop window in the NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer.
When your observing time comes, please confirm the observations of the previous observer is complete using at #ObsMessages channel in Rocket.Chat. Then, input your observing account ID and project name on Group and Project in the COSMOS GUI. Push the "Change Observer" button. You will have the priority of the 45-m telescope. The next step to do is tuning of the receivers.
The COSMOS Monitor is the terminal that reports the current status of the observation. It illustrates detail information of the running observing scripts. If the system encounters an unexpected situation, messages will be shown in the COSMOS Monitor with the background colour of yellow or red. Yellow messages indicate a warning that is not a severe problem for the system. Although some yellow messages can be ignored such as "FFT OverFlow", others may affect on your data (ex. "Tsys abnormal": In most cases, this message appears when the combination of the direction of mirrors is wrong, or the LOAD is still inserted. Otherwise, the weather is extremely bad.).
In order to guide the radio wave to the receiver you are going to use, it is needed to change the direction of mirrors inside the Nobeyama 45-m telescope. The mirrors can be operated remotely by pushing a button at the Mirror Control Window.
In case you cannot find the Mirror Control Window on the desktop window, please launch the window by clicking "mirror.sh" icon on the desktop window in the NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer.
The window has seven buttons: >
'Check where am I' button tells you which receiver is currently ready. The observatory recommends checking the direction of the mirrors after you take over the priority.
Other buttons can change the direction of mirrors to the corresponding receivers. If you push the button, it takes about a minute to change the directions of the mirrors. Please wait for the movement of the mirrors. When the movement is done, you can see a message on the top of the window:
'<Name of The Receiver>' mode now
Then, you can run the next observing script.
For open-use observers, the MMC (milli-metre calibration device) Execute Panel is mainly used when they intend to tune the T70 receiver and perform continuum observations. In this panel, "OPEN" means "the telescope is open for observations (the light path is clear)".
The LOAD acts as a shield in order to protect receivers from strong emission emitted by artificial satellites.
It is automatically inserted when the elevation of the telescope is higher than 82 degrees (This means that the Nobeyama 45-m telescope cannot observe a target while its elevation is higher than 82 degrees).
The LOAD stays inserted unless users explicitly send a command to remove the LOAD from the light path.
When you forget to move the LOAD to appropriate position, a message is poped up in the NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer and a message appears on the COSMOS Monitor.
Remote observers can check the LOAD position at Live Camera window (the top-right camera) in the NRO_RemoteObs_4 viewer.
Live Camera window. The top-right window shows the position of the LOAD.
A red rectangle illustrates the LOAD. In this picture, you can see the LOAD is inserted.
In order to remove the LOAD, please push the "LD1-OPEN" button in the MMC EXCUTE PANEL after the elevation of the telescope is below 82 degrees. It takes about 10 seconds to move the LOAD from the light path.
You can check the position of the LOAD at the Live Camera window in the NRO_RemoteObs_4 viewer. When it successfully moved, you can see like the following picture:
If you push the "LD1-OPEN" button while the elevation is higher than 82 degrees, the following warning message will appear on the COSMOS Monitor window.
Note that both "LD1" and "LD2" words indicate the LOAD in the current system (no difference in a meaning).
For the continuum observation, the Nobeyama 45-m telescope uses a beam-swich calibration system. This system enebles the telescope observe the target and the sky that is close to the target in a very short time. The Beam-Switch Calibration Device looks a white fan-shaped metallic plate. The plate rotates to switch the on-source position (i.e., the target) and the sky position quickly.
When an observation script for the continuum observavtion is run, the plate automatically start rotation. However, the plate continues rotating even when the observation scripts are finished. After continuum observations, please stop the plate rotating. This can be done by pushing the "BS-OPEN" button.
The NRO_RemoteObs_1 viewer has windows that relates to the current observation.
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The NRO_RemoteObs_3 viewer contains windows that illustrate the antenna position and observation logs.
The antenna monitor window is used to monitor and to control the 45-m antenna. There are roughly 5 sections A – E. Each section is explained below. When a button is highlighted by an orange bar, it means that this button is selected. On the other hand, when the letters in button is green, it means that this button can be selected.
At the top of this window, date, local time (JST: Japanese standard time, UTC+9h), local sidereal time (LST), and modified Julian date (MJD) are displayed. To control from this window, “PRIORITY” at the left side in this section must be checked.
In this section, position of the main reflector and related information are displayed. The actual main reflector position is indicated in azimuth and elevation angles (REAL). Differences between the actual position and the program value (PROG) are also indicated (PROG-REAL). In the lower side, statuses of SPEED of the movement, STOW, and positional LIMIT are also indicated. The numerical values displayed are updated with intervals of 200 msec.
In this section, operational modes of the main reflector are selected:
Usually the observing program controls the master collimator, and then the main reflector tracks the master collimator. Related buttons for selection of the operational mode exist at the top of this section, INDIV and SLAVE.
Cautions:
Messages concerning the main reflector are indicated in a window at the right side in this section.
In this section, position of the master collimator and related information are displayed. The actual position is indicated in azimuth and elevation angles (REAL). Differences between the actual position and the program value (PROG) are also indicated (PROG-REAL). In the lower side, statuses of SPEED of the movement, OPTICAL ERROR, and positional LIMIT are also indicated.
In this section, operational modes of the master collimator are selected:
OPTICAL ERROR: The collimator controls the main reflector in the SLAVE mode. This control is done with an optical component at the collimator, and consequently a tracking error derived from this optical system can be displayed.
Messages concerning the collimator are indicated in a window at the right side in this section.
In this panel, operational modes of the sub-reflector are selected. The position of the sub-reflector is controlled automatically by the observing program to track the focus of the main reflector, which is designed to keep homologous deformation.
There are three axes to be controlled. The X axis is toward the vertical direction. The Y axis is toward the horizontal direction. The Z1 and Z2 axes are toward the focus direction. In principle, it is not necessary to control the Y axis automatically, because the telescope is made symmetrically in the horizontal direction. Thus, this axis is not controlled automatically.
Caution:
There are several convenient buttons for operations:
In this panel, the positions of the main reflector, the collimator, and the program value are schematically shown. The yellow circles indicate the elevation limits of the telescope during operation (~12 deg. and 80 deg.).
Alarm sound: In case of ALARM and INTERLOCK at Sections B, C, and D, the indicators will become red, and the messages will appear. The alarm also sounds, if the sound is not muted.
When the window of the antenna console disappeared:
Other relevant monitors concerning observations such as (the monitor for tuning a receiver and weather monitor) are packed in the NRO_RemoteObs_4 viewer. We are sorry for the inconvenience.
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