5 July 1998 Hugh Hudson SXT CHIEF OBSERVER'S REPORT AND TABLE PLAN CHIEF OBSERVER'S REPORT for Week 27 27-Jun-98 to 5-Jul-98 SOLAR ACTIVITY Activity remained moderate, with two M flares and many C flares up through July 4. The chief active region, 8253, reached a maximum area of about 230 millionths. SXT INSTRUMENT STATUS SXT has been working fine, no new problems to report. There were many interruptions of operations due to the PLANET-B launch preparations at Kagoshima. We are still struggling a bit figuring out how best to do the diffuser calibrations. A new program (QUICKDARK) joins the QUICK series and gives the chief observers a quick way to monitor dark current. We are suffering from more frequent HXA discrepancies and are looking into (a) the software, and (b) the possibility of moving Yohkoh normal pointing to a less-critical region of the HXA sensors. SXT SCIENCE For Web material see Current Week: ftp://isass0.solar.isas.ac.jp/pub/sxt_co/SXTweekly.html Index: ftp://isass0.solar.isas.ac.jp/pub/sxt_co/index.html Last week's science nugget was on the Mercury transit of 1993 (retrospective). The image looked so nice that it was offered to the APOD service, and converted there into its July 2 entry. See http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap980702.html CAMPAIGNS There were no organized campaigns, but we followed TRACE active-region staring on NOAA 8253. We are looking for ways to be more helpful for TRACE planning in the absence (temporary, we hope) of SOHO whole-Sun images. PERSONNEL McKenzie left. Shirts and Slater arrived. SXT TABLE PLAN FOR WEEK 98_28 (5-Jul-98 - 12-Jul-98) SXT Chief Observer: Hudson There are no formal observing campaigns planned for this week, but we will coordinate with TRACE plans whenever possible. ________________________________#_______________________________ JST Day UT Start Time Pass Table ID Sunday 5-JUL-98 15:57 3 980705 P3 ARS1 DIFF Monday 6-JUL-98 11:08 1 980706 P1 ARS2 TRACE Monday 6-JUL-98 16:14 4 980706 P4 DARKCAL Tuesday 7-JUL-98 11:25 1 980707 P1 ARS2 TRACE Tuesday 7-JUL-98 16:32 4 980707 P4 ARS1 STD Wednesday 8-JUL-98 11:42 1 980708 P1 ARS2 TRACE Wednesday 8-JUL-98 16:50 4 980708 P4 ARS1 STD Thursday 9-JUL-98 10:17 1 980709 P1 ARS2 TRACE Thursday 9-JUL-98 13:42 4 980709 P4 ARS1 STD Saturday 11-JUL-98 10:51 2 980711 P2 ARS1 STD Note that this plan may change during the week. Continuing requests: SSOC Tohban: On the weekly visible diagram, please mark the official five passes first and then cross out those passes that will be given to other satellites. That way we can keep the numbering straight in the Yohkoh software system. SSOC Tohban: SXT operations do not currently include terminator off- pointing. It is unnecessary this week to ask the SXT Chief Observer for terminator off-pointing information. KSC & SSOC Tohbans: If any KSC passes are likely to be cancelled (for example due to a typhoon) or an SXT table cannot be uploaded for some reason, please telephone and e-mail the Chief Observer immediately. (sxt_co@isass0.solar.isas.ac.jp, copy to sxt_st@flare2.solar.isas.ac.jp). KSC Tohbans: In general flare mode supersedes table upload, ie if a flare is in progress please do not upload a new table, and contact the chief observer. Normally it is OK to go ahead with the planned table without change on the next pass, if it is available. Chief observers should keep an eye on this.