Creating and Managing Observations¶
Document Version: 1.5 | Last Updated: March 2026
What's New in v1.4 (March 2026): - Describe external storage capability
What's New in v1.3 (February 2026): - Autofocus settings step added to observation creation workflow
What's New in v1.2 (February 2026): - Fast Mover designation for near-Earth objects and asteroids - Updated download section with Observation Files page reference - FITS metadata quality metrics
This guide covers how to create, monitor, and manage observations in the Science Scheduler.
Observation Types Overview¶
| Type | Best For | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Flexible | Most observations | Fixed exposure count, can be interrupted and resumed |
| Fixed-Time | Transits, occultations | Protected time window, must start on time |
| Time-Based | Duration-limited programs | Runs for a specified time window |
| Monitoring | Repeat observations | Cadence-based scheduling at regular intervals |
| Rise-to-Set | Full-night coverage | Observes target from rise to set |
Flexible Observations¶
- Defined number of exposures
- Can run partially if time is limited
- May be interrupted for higher priority work
- Ideal for deep-sky imaging, variable star monitoring, or surveys
Fixed-Time Observations¶
- Must begin at specific time (e.g., exoplanet transit)
- Protected buffer prevents scheduling conflicts
- See Exoplanet Transits below
Rise-to-Set Observations¶
- Observes the target for as long as it is above the horizon
- Useful for all-night coverage of a single target
Repetitive and Recurring Observations¶
For observations that need to repeat on a schedule, see Repetitive Observations for structured campaigns with precise intervals, execution history, and pause/resume control.
Creating an Observation¶
Starting the Workflow¶
- Log in to the web interface
- Click on + Submit New Observation button from dashboard (or click on + Submit Observation button from navigation bar)
The creation wizard guides you through 6 steps: Project, Target & Exposure, Constraints, Repetition, Autofocus, and Review & Submit.
Step 1: Project¶
- Provide a descriptive name for the Observation being created
- Select a Project to associate this Observation with (or use the + Create New Project to create a new Project)
- Select the Observatory that the Observation should be performed from (the default will be the Observatory defined as the users preferred one declared in their profile or if previous Observations have been submitted this login session the last selected Observatory will be the default)
- Optionally select an external storage option where FITS files generated by the Observation will be copied to by the server
If a user has configured external storage options, or if the selected Project has external storage options, or if one of the Organizations the user is associated with has external storage options, all the potential external storage options will be displayed. Each storage option will provide the path under which the Observation FITS files will be placed and if configured, the FITS file will be removed from the Science Server after being copied to the external storage system. Headings will also indicate if the external storage is Personal, Project, or Organization storage.
Step 2: Target & Exposure¶
This step combines target details, coordinate lookup, exposure configuration, and priority setting for each target.
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Target Name | Descriptive name | "M31 Core" |
| RA | Right Ascension | 00h 42m 44s or 10.685 |
| Dec | Declination | +41° 16' 09" or 41.269 |
| Epoch | Coordinate epoch | J2000 (default) |
Target Name Lookup¶
Instead of entering coordinates manually, you can use the target lookup feature. Enter a target name and click the lookup button to automatically retrieve coordinates from astronomical databases.
Supported object types:
| Object Type | Examples | Database Used |
|---|---|---|
| Deep-sky objects | M31, NGC 7000, IC 1396 | SIMBAD |
| Stars | Vega, Betelgeuse, HD 209458 | SIMBAD |
| Double/multiple stars | WDS J00491+5749, CCDM J14396-6050 | SIMBAD |
| Galaxies | NGC 4565, Andromeda | SIMBAD, NED |
| Variable stars | RR Lyrae, Delta Cephei | SIMBAD |
| Minor planets | 433 Eros, (1) Ceres, MP Vesta | JPL Horizons |
| Comets | C/2020 F3, 1P/Halley | JPL Horizons |
| Planets | Mars, Jupiter, Saturn | JPL Horizons |
How it works: 1. Enter the object name in the target field 2. Click the Lookup button (or press Enter) 3. The system queries SIMBAD, VizieR, NED, and JPL Horizons 4. Coordinates are automatically filled in 5. For solar system objects, orbital elements are stored for position calculation at observation time
Tips for successful lookups: - Use standard catalog names (M31, NGC 224, HD numbers) - For WDS double stars, use the full designation (e.g., "WDS J00491+5749") - For asteroids, use the number and name (e.g., "433 Eros") or just the number - For comets, use the designation (e.g., "C/2020 F3" or "1P/Halley") - Planet names work directly (e.g., "Jupiter", "Mars")
Object Information Chips¶
After a successful lookup, the system displays information chips next to the coordinates:
Object type chip (blue) — identifies the type of object from SIMBAD's classification:
| Chip Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
** |
Double or multiple star system |
PM* |
High proper-motion star |
SB* |
Spectroscopic binary star |
V* |
Variable star |
* |
Star (generic) |
HII |
HII region (emission nebula) |
PN |
Planetary nebula |
SNR |
Supernova remnant |
GlC |
Globular cluster |
OpC |
Open cluster |
G |
Galaxy |
AGN |
Active galactic nucleus |
QSO |
Quasar |
planet |
Solar system planet |
asteroid |
Minor planet / asteroid |
Magnitude chip (purple) — the visual (V-band) magnitude of the object, or B-band if V is unavailable.
Spectral type chip (light blue) — the stellar spectral classification (e.g., "G2V", "K1V", "M5.5Ve") when available.
Tip: See Target Library for managing saved targets, templates, CSV import, and automation.
Configure Exposures¶
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Filter | Select filter(s) (L, R, G, B, Ha, etc.) |
| Exposure Time | Duration in seconds |
| Count | Number of exposures per filter |
| Binning | Camera binning (1x1, 2x2, etc.) |
Example exposure plan:
L filter: 10 x 300s (1x1 binning)
R filter: 5 x 180s (1x1 binning)
G filter: 5 x 180s (1x1 binning)
B filter: 5 x 180s (1x1 binning)
Priority¶
Priority is set per-target within the Target & Exposure step:
| Priority | Use For | Buffer Time |
|---|---|---|
| HIGH | Time-critical, urgent | 30 minutes |
| MEDIUM | Standard science (recommended) | 20 minutes |
| LOW | Fill time, surveys | 10 minutes |
Note: Buffer time is how long before a fixed-time event your observation will be stopped.
Step 3: Constraints (Optional)¶
| Constraint | Description | Typical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Min Altitude | Lowest altitude to observe | 30° |
| Max Airmass | Maximum airmass | 2.0 |
| Moon Distance | Minimum degrees from moon | 30° |
| Twilight | Latest twilight type | Astronomical |
Fast Mover Designation¶
When creating observations for fast-moving objects (near-Earth objects, asteroids, comets), enable the Fast Mover option. This tells the scheduler to use fine-grained 5-minute scheduling resolution instead of the standard resolution, ensuring the object is observed at the correct position.
Fast Mover observations display a special chip indicator on the observation detail page.
Step 4: Repetition¶
Configure whether and how this observation should repeat (for monitoring or campaign-style programs).
Step 5: Autofocus Settings¶
Configure how autofocus behaves during this observation:
- Use observatory defaults (recommended) — inherits the autofocus configuration set by the observatory administrator
- Custom settings — override triggers, intervals, and thresholds for this specific observation
For detailed information on all autofocus options, trigger types, and recommended configurations, see the Autofocus Guide.
Step 6: Configure Notifications (Optional)¶
If you have enabled at least one notification channel in your Profile, a Notifications panel appears after observatory selection and above External Storage Destinations.
- Check which channels to use: Email and/or Pushover (only enabled channels appear)
- Select which state changes should trigger notifications (all are selected by default):
- Assigned, In Progress, Suspended, Complete, Failed, Aborted, Cancelled
- Uncheck any states you don't need alerts for
No notification channels configured? See Notifications for setup instructions.
Step 7: Review & Submit¶
- Review your settings in the summary
- Click Submit Observation
- Observation enters the queue as "Pending"
Exoplanet Transit Observations¶
For time-critical transit observations, use the dedicated Exoplanet Transits page.
Quick Process¶
- Go to Exoplanet Transits page
- Set your observatory and date range
- Click Search Transits
- Select a transit from the list
- Configure baseline timing and camera settings
- Submit
Detailed Guide¶
For complete instructions including telescope configuration and timing setup, see: Practical User Guide - Exoplanet Transits
Monitoring Your Observations¶
Dashboard View¶
The main dashboard shows: - Pending: Waiting to be scheduled - Assigned: Assigned to an observatory - In Progress: Currently executing - Acquisition Complete: All exposures captured, processing underway - Suspended: Temporarily paused - Completed: Finished successfully - Failed: Encountered an error - Aborted: Manually canceled or safety triggered
My Observations Page¶
View all your observations with filtering options: - Filter by status - Search by target name - Sort by date or priority
Real-Time Updates¶
When connected via WebSocket, the interface updates automatically: - Status changes appear immediately - Progress bars update during execution - No need to refresh the page
Observation Details¶
Click on any observation to see: - Full configuration details - Execution history and event log - Captured FITS files (for completed observations) - Error messages (for failed observations) - Constraint violations are shown on the observation list via the DispatchStatusIndicator tooltip on pending/waiting observations
Execution Log¶
The observation detail page includes a chronological event log that records everything that happened during execution. Events are organized by category:
| Category | Example Events |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | Observation started, completed, failed, aborted |
| Progress | Exposure started, exposure completed, filter changed |
| Files | FITS file captured, file uploaded, plate solve completed |
| Equipment | Slew started, slew completed, settle completed |
| Weather | Weather hold started, weather hold ended |
| Autofocus | AF started, AF completed, AF failed |
| User | User note added, observation canceled |
| Time | Observation window opened, window closing |
Each event includes a severity level (DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR, or CRITICAL). The timeline view on the detail page shows important events (INFO and above), filtering out DEBUG-level entries for readability.
Timing Summary¶
The observation detail page shows an estimated overhead breakdown including download time, dither time, and filter change time. The observation list shows actual duration for completed observations.
Note: There is no post-execution breakdown of shutter-open time versus wall-clock time.
Adding Notes¶
You can add notes to the observation log for record-keeping. Click Add Note on the observation detail page to append a timestamped entry to the event log. This is useful for recording observing conditions, equipment issues, or other context that may help when reviewing the data later.
Using Logs for Troubleshooting¶
When an observation fails, the event log is the first place to look:
- Find the ERROR or CRITICAL severity events
- Check the events immediately before the failure for context
- Look for weather events (weather holds that didn't clear)
- Check for equipment events (slew failures, settle timeouts)
- Review autofocus events (repeated AF failures may indicate equipment issues)
Searching Observations¶
The Search Observations page provides powerful filtering to find specific observations across your history.
Accessing Search¶
Navigate to Search Observations from the main menu, or use the search option within the My Observations page.
Filter Criteria¶
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| Target Name | Search by target name (minimum 2 characters). The search is case-insensitive and supports partial matching. |
| Status | Filter by observation status. Eight options available, each color-coded: Pending, Assigned, In Progress, Acquisition Complete, Suspended, Completed, Failed, Aborted |
| Observatory | Filter by the observatory that executed (or will execute) the observation |
| Project | Filter by the project the observation belongs to |
| Date Range | Filter by creation date or completion date |
Search Behavior¶
- Text search uses a 400ms debounce — the system waits briefly after you stop typing before searching, to avoid excessive queries
- Target name search is case-insensitive with simple text matching (partial matches supported)
- Your last-selected observatory is remembered across sessions
Results¶
The results table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Target | Target name |
| Observation | Observation name or ID |
| Status | Color-coded status chip |
| Observatory | Assigned observatory |
| Created | When the observation was submitted |
| Completed | When the observation finished (if applicable) |
Click any row to open the observation detail page.
Access Control¶
- Regular users see only their own observations
- Observatory administrators see all observations for their observatories
- Server administrators see all observations system-wide
Modifying Observations¶
When Can You Modify?¶
| Status | Can Edit? | Can Delete? |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Yes | Yes |
| Assigned | Limited | Yes (with warning) |
| In Progress | No | Cancel only |
| Completed | No | No |
| Failed | No | Yes |
How to Edit¶
- Go to My Observations
- Click the Edit icon button on the observation row, or right-click for the context menu and select Edit (also available from the Observation Timeline view)
- This navigates to the edit page for the observation
- Make changes and save
Canceling an Observation¶
For observations in progress: 1. Click Cancel on the observation 2. Current exposure will complete 3. Status changes to "Cancelled"
Resubmitting an Observation¶
You can resubmit a completed or failed observation to repeat it:
- Find the observation in the observation list or project view
- Click Resubmit
- A new observation is created with the same settings
- Review and submit
What's preserved when resubmitting:
- Target name and coordinates
- Exposure plan (filters, times, counts, binning)
- Constraints (altitude, airmass, moon separation, twilight)
- Priority level
- Autofocus settings (observatory defaults or custom overrides)
- Guiding and dithering settings
- External storage destinations
Older Observations
Observations created before v3.5.0 (when autofocus and guiding configuration was added) will use observatory defaults for those settings when resubmitted, which is the safe default behavior.
Understanding Status Flow¶
Pending → Assigned → In Progress → Acquisition Complete → Completed
↓ ↓
Suspended Failed
↓
Cancelled
↓
Aborted
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | In queue, waiting for suitable time/observatory |
| Assigned | Assigned to specific observatory, waiting to execute |
| In Progress | Currently being observed |
| Acquisition Complete | All exposures captured, processing underway |
| Suspended | Temporarily paused (e.g., weather hold) |
| Completed | All exposures captured and processed successfully |
| Failed | Error occurred (weather, equipment, etc.) |
| Cancelled | User-initiated cancellation |
| Aborted | Safety-triggered or system abort |
For the complete list of all 8 statuses, transition rules, automated monitors, and troubleshooting stuck observations, see the Observation Lifecycle guide.
Downloading Results¶
Accessing FITS Files via Projects (Recommended)¶
The Projects page is the primary way to view and download your observation files:
- Navigate to Projects in the main menu
- Expand your project to see targets and observations
- Look for the folder icon in the Files column
- Click the folder icon to open the Observation Files page
- From there you can:
- View file thumbnails and previews
- See file metadata (filter, exposure time, capture date)
- Download individual files
- Use Download All for batch download with parallel downloads
Tip: The Projects page shows observation progress and file counts, making it easy to track which observations have data ready for download.
Accessing Files via Observation Details¶
You can also access files from the observation detail page, where captured FITS files are shown inline for completed observations. Additionally, the files page is accessible from project views via the files link, which navigates to /observations/:id/files.
- Go to My Observations or find the observation in Projects
- Click on the observation to open details, where files are displayed inline
- Download individual files or use batch download
For detailed information on the Observation Files page, see Observation Files.
File Information¶
Each FITS file includes: - Filter used - Exposure time - Capture timestamp - File size - FITS headers with full metadata - Quality metrics (HFR, star count, ADU statistics)
Automatic Cloud Storage Transfer¶
If you selected external storage destinations during observation creation, FITS files are automatically copied to your cloud storage after processing completes. See the External Storage Guide for setup instructions and details.
Projects¶
Every observation belongs to a project. Projects let you organize related observations, collaborate with team members, track progress, and access your data.
When creating an observation, select an existing project or click + Create New Project to create one inline.
For complete documentation on project creation, types, membership, permissions, ownership, and settings, see the Projects Guide.
Tips for Effective Scheduling¶
Choose Appropriate Priority¶
- Use MEDIUM for most observations
- Reserve HIGH for truly time-critical work
- Use LOW for fill-time programs that can run anytime
Set Realistic Constraints¶
- Don't set minimum altitude too high (reduces scheduling flexibility)
- Consider moon phase when setting moon distance
- Allow adequate time windows
Plan for Weather¶
- Flexible observations can partially complete
- Observations may need re-queuing after weather interruptions
- Monitor forecasts and adjust priorities
Use the Target Library¶
See Target Library for managing saved targets, reusable observing templates, CSV bulk import, and automated cadence scheduling.
Next Steps¶
- Configure autofocus? See Autofocus Guide
- Configure guiding? See Guiding Guide
- Need detailed procedures? See Practical User Guide
- Understand scheduling? See Scheduler Features
- Having problems? See Troubleshooting