Previous Article
Next Article
Table of Contents

Alternative Observing Modes! (1Jun95)
(from KPNO, NOAO Newsletter No. 42, June 1995)

For some time KPNO has upon special request informally supported alternative
observing modes. Beginning with fall semester 1995 we formally offer the
following non-traditional services to scheduled programs using CCDs at the
4-m, 2.1-m and 0.9-m telescopes. All observing runs using these alternative
modes require at least one observer to be present at the telescope during
night-time operations.

1)  Automatic FTP data transfer to a computer at your institution:

    After each exposure, the image is passed to a queue that automatically
transfers it to your computer using FTP. This process operates in the
background and will not affect observing efficiency. The FITS data will be
automatically compressed using STScI's hcompress, which is available for
Unix and VMS systems from ftp://stsci.edu/software/hcompress. Due to limited
bandwidth off the mountain, we are not able to make this service available to
all users, only those requiring immediate transmission of their data for their
scientific program.

2)  Remote observing station:

    The KPNO observing environment will be duplicated as far as possible
on a computer at your home institution. At present we are only able to support
Sun SparcStations running SunOS (not Solaris) and IRAF. The remote window
environment will include the ICE data acquisition window, IRAF data
reduction window, and an Ximtool quick look image display. Audio and video
connections will be provided through the commercial teleconferencing package
"PictureWindow" from BBN. The video connection will allow access to the
acquisition and guide TVs. Audio and video connections will provide valuable
interaction and feedback between those on Kitt Peak and those eavesdropping
from "home."

    You will be responsible for providing the video conferencing hardware
and software at your institution, including some or all of the following:
microphone, speakers or headphones, Sun VideoPix board, TV camera,
PictureWindow software. All long-distance telephone charges during the run
between investigators on site and at the home institutions remain the
responsibility of the observers, but the network audio link should make the
phone unnecessary.

You must request alternative observing modes in advance of your observing
run when you send in your Observing Preparation form (aka the "pink form").
A special form will be included with the "yes" letters. Questions about this
service should be directed to Rob Seaman (rseaman@noao.edu, (520) 318-8248).

We welcome suggestions for other new observing services. In particular, please
let us know if you would like to use these non-traditional modes but cannot
because of different computer hardware or other compatibility issues.

Bruce Bohannan, Rob Seaman

Previous Article
Next Article
Table of Contents