09 December  1996 
                                                         H Hudson, M Weber

              SXT CHIEF OBSERVER'S REPORT AND TABLE PLAN

                  CHIEF OBSERVER'S REPORT for Week 49
			02-Dec-96 to 08-Dec-96
                         

SOLAR ACTIVITY

Solar activity was high at the beginning of the week due to the
continued presence of AR 7999 on the disc. This active region provided
us with yet a few more C-class events before it passed beyond the limb.
GOES X-ray emission measures plummeted beneath A-level after its passage,
and remained there since the current face of the Sun is devoid of soft
X-ray features (with the exception of the occasional bright points). The
polar coronal holes currently appear to be well-defined.


SXT INSTRUMENT STATUS

The SXT continues to function well.


CAMPAIGNS

There were no campaigns or coordinated observations in Week 49, although
a table was test-run in preparation for coordinated observing with 
JOP 057 in Week 50.


SEMINARS

A Yohkoh seminar was held this week on Thursday, Dec 5.

Dr Brigitte Schmieder (Meudon): "Signatures of Emerging Flux in the
Corona"

The comparison of H-alpha, magnetographs, and soft X-rays has led
Dr Schmieder and her colleagues to observations of changes in the
SX emission of XBP loops _before_ the onset of small (sub-C level)
flares, which they ascribe to the elevation of chromospheric material
by emerging flux. There was some question among the seminar 
participants as to whether the observed change in the soft X-ray loops
was topological, or merely a variation of the selective process of loop
heating.

Visitors B Schmieder and N Nitta departed ISAS and Japan this week.
Both seemed to have had productive stays.




                      SXT TABLE PLAN FOR WEEK 50
                       (08-Dec-96 to 14-Dec-96)

In Week 50, SXT will be participating in JOP057 to observe jets and 
"jetlets" in the polar region. This requires a special SXT Table which
will be run during the period of KSC Contact Passes each day, from
10-Dec to 17-Dec.

Furthermore, it is possible that we will be doing coordinated observing
with SoHO/CDS all during Week 50, but that plan has not yet been
completed. It is likely that this observing will be done during periods
that do not conflict with JOP 057. Tohbans are encouraged to watch for
changes in the names, and maybe times, of SXT tables this week.

The dark-calibration table will be loaded on Tuesday, and diffuser 
frames will be inserted into the FFI Qt/H table on Thursday. All
terminator opportunities are expected to be used.



    KSC Time (start) in JST     Pass          Table ID
_____________(= UT + 9 hrs)______#_______________________________

Sunday       	   ******  No SXT Table load  ******

Monday                     OPERATIONS HOLIDAY

Tuesday      10-DEC-96 08:52     3	    961209   P3 ARS1 DARKCAL

Wednesday    11-DEC-96 07:28     2	    961210   P2 ARS0 JOP057

	     	 "     09:30	 4	    961210B  P4 ARS1 STD+LONG

Thursday     12-DEC-96 04:23     1	    961211   P1 ARS0 JOP057

		 "     09:30	 4	    961211B  P4 ARS1 STD+DIFF

Friday       13-DEC-96 04:41	 1	    961212   P1 ARS0 JOP057

		 "     09:49	 4	    961212B  P4 ARS1 STD+LONG

Saturday     14-DEC-96 03:18	 1	    961213   P1 ARS0 JOP057

		 "     08:25	 4	    961213B  P4 ARS1 STD+LONG

       *** Please note that this table plan may change ***

Continuing requests:

We request that KSC tohbans continue to dump a patrol image each time an
SXT table is loaded to facilitate the study of optimizing ARS parameters
during quiet times. 

SSOC TOHBAN, please e-mail any terminator schedule to the chief observer
(sxt_co@isass0) so that he can decide about filters and offpoints.