2. Click TARGET and input the RA & DEC (hh mm ss dd mm ss). Select "Auto" for automatic slewing. The TCS will perform several tests before accepting your target request and slewing the telescope:
* Dome must be in "'''Auto" ''' mode.
* Telescope must be under '''TCS''' control.
* The target must be '''in view'''
If all OK:
* the '''Manual''' indicator will turn from cyan to grey
* the '''Auto request''' indicator will turn from grey to cyan
* the '''In View''' indicator will turn from grey to cyan
* if the target is already nearby (<~10 arcminutes) the "In Range" indicator will turn from grey to cyan and the telescope will move in slow motion only
* the telescope will slew to the target in fast motion until "In Range" where it will switch to slow motion
* once target field has been acquired the '''Auto Request''' will turn back to grey and the '''Manual''' will turn to cyan.
3. In “Exposures & Guiding”:
* Move GUIDE MIRROR IN BEAM by clicking on that box.
* Click "Expose" and select exposure time from drop-down menu to start images.
* Under “Image Options” select the preferred LUT and SCALE. * Hint for good scaling in the display: keep the bottom slider all the way to the left and move the top slider towards the left until the stars appear. Then adjust the vertical slider. Dragging downwards generally reduces background and increases contrast. 4. Identify the target star in the image display by comparing to a finder chart and making fine adjustments in RA & Dec using the handset or the TCS GUI handset.
4Note the next steps are generalizations. Identify the target star in the image display by comparing to a finder chart and making find adjustments in RA & Dec using Details may vary depending on the handsetinstrument being used.
5. If known, place Place the target at the location on the image display corresponding to the desired position on the science CCD.* Ensure that XY slides have been initialized. (Click "Initialize" under XY slides control). This should have been done before acquiring target.
6. Move GUIDE MIRROR OUT OF BEAM to direct the beam to the science detector.
7. Check the position of the target in the instrument and adjust RA & Dec as necessary using the handset.
8. Adjust '''telescope focus, ''' using the TCS Menu1, Focus box (enter value) or the Focus In and Out buttons on the warm room paddle. [https://topswiki.saao.ac.za/index.php/74%22_/_1.9m#Instrument_Focus_Settings Approximate focus values] are given for each instrument.
* Once focus is achieved for the instrument, the guider camera may need to be refocussed. Under the "Camera Focus" box at lower right, click on the up/down arrows to start focus changing. Press stop to stop the change.
9. Once the star is well positioned on the science detector, select a guide star.
* Ensure that XY slides have been initialized. (Click "Initialize" under XY slides control).
* Open the guide star software (the icon of a star with a long tail).
* Enter coordinates of the field and click "GET IMAGE". A window should appear with a 10x10 arcmin DSS map.
**NOTE: this chart is centered on the coordinates. If you have adjusted the position of the target to be away from the center of the acquisition frame, there will be the same offset in whatever guide star is selected.
* Under "XY Slides Control," click "GoTo GS". The star should appear in the acquisition image. If not, try a different star.
* Under “Pointer" click "Guide Star" , then click on the chosen guide star in the acquisition camera FOV. This will put a dark blue box around (guide point) centered of the star and begin .* Press '''GUIDE''' on the '''Exposures & Guiding''' box to start guiding.
** NOTE: if the star is near a hot pixel, that could cause trouble with guiding. Click "Move XY" and click on the star: this will center it (just moving the XY stages, and not effecting the science target).
* To stop or restart guiding (e.g. after brief intervals of cloud), press GUIDE.
* To change exposure times, press STOP, select exposure time from the drop down menu under Expose. Exposure times between ~1-6 seconds is good for guiding.
==Manual for Acquiring a Target==