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Service Observing on 0.9-m Telescope (1Jun95) (from CTIO, NOAO Newsletter No. 42, June 1995) Beginning the first semester (February-July) of 1996, we are considering operating the CTIO 0.9-m telescope in a 100% service observing mode. Under this mode, blocks of time would continue (as at present) to be assigned to observers in advance. However, instead of the astronomer coming to Tololo to observe in person, the observations would be carried out by a trained observer on the CTIO staff. We see several advantages to this type of operation. The first is convenience. It is often difficult for visiting astronomers to get away from teaching commitments or other responsibilities to travel to Chile for an observing run--particularly for a "small" telescope such as the 0.9-m. A second advantage is efficiency. A typical visiting astronomer who comes to CTIO a maximum of once or twice per year usually spends a significant fraction of his/her first night learning (or re-learning) the ins and outs of the operation of the telescope and instrument. This is particularly true for the 0.9-m, where the observer often does not have a night assistant. The third advantage of service observing is the money that it can save both for the observer and CTIO. A typical five-night run on the 0.9-m will cost the visiting astronomer between $1,100-1,700 for a round-trip ticket from the US to Chile, and costs CTIO approximately $300-400 in lodging and transportation costs. Service observing should save 100% of the former sum, and a significant fraction (at least 50%) of the latter. A fourth advantage of service observing is that it allows greater flexibility in scheduling---e.g., runs as short as 1/2 night should be feasible (see below), allowing users to carry out smaller-than-usual observing programs or to obtain test observations. Finally, converting the 0.9-m telescope to service observing will allow us here at CTIO to start to get experience in the types of alternative observing modes that are likely to be employed on next- generation telescopes such as SOAR and Gemini South. If this experiment is successful, service observing is likely to be extended soon to the Curtis Schmidt telescope. In addition, we hope to begin full queue observing on one or both telescopes, perhaps as soon as the second semester of 1996, possibly in conjunction with a resident graduate student program. The basic ground rules of this proposed service observing are likely to be approximately the following: 1) Service observing only---No queue observing! Although we do eventually plan to get experience in queue observing, we prefer to concentrate initially on service observing only. 2) Smallest unit is 1/2 night (although even smaller requests might be scheduled if well justified). In addition to facilitating small projects, this may also prove to be an effective means of making more efficient usage of gray time. 3) Limited "eavesdropping" capability. It is our experience that the existing satellite link can be used, at least in a basic fashion, to monitor service observing, and we will therefore attempt to encourage such interaction between the astronomer and the CTIO staff observer. 4) The astronomer can still elect to be at the telescope if she/he so chooses. If you just don't trust anyone else to take data for you, you may come and observe for yourself. However, room and board will be charged in all such cases. This policy of charging fully for room and board would also be applied to graduate students working on theses. We are interested in receiving feedback from potential users of the 0.9-m concerning this proposal. Would you find service observing to be attractive, or do you think it is a bad idea? Send your reactions to mphillips@noao.edu by 1 July if you want to have a voice in the decision making process. Depending upon the response, a more definitive announcement will be included in the September edition of the NOAO Newsletter. Mark Phillips (mphillips@noao.edu)
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