NOAO > Observing Information > 2012B Instruments List
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NOAO > Observing Information > 2012B Instruments List |
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Observing time at the facilities available through the National Optical Astronomy Observatory is allocated via peer review twice a year. Proposals must be received by Thursday, 29 March for the upcoming August through January semester. All proposals are due the evening of the due date by 11:59pm MST.
Please read the following sections for information on telescope and instrument availability at Gemini North and South, MMT, Palomar, AAT, CTIO, and KPNO for the 2012B semester.
The following changes to instrumentation at all facilities available
through NOAO are
noted here to alert investigators preparing proposals. For
more information, see the NOAO Newsletter.
The Gemini Observatory issued a Call for Proposals for 2012B on March 1.
Gemini and Subaru are continuing their time-exchange program. A total of up to eight classically-scheduled nights are available to the Gemini community. Subaru will be subject to extensive engineering downtime in 2012B and some instruments will have limited availability. Please see the Gemini call for proposals for more information.
MMT: Up to twelve nights of classically scheduled time on the 6.5-m telescope at the MMT Observatory will be available to the community during 2012B. Most of the remaining time is bright (> 10 days from new moon).
Hale: About ten nights of classically scheduled time (with the Double Spectrograph or TripleSpec) on the 200-inch Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory will be available to the community during 2012B.
AAT: Due to a time-exchange program initiated between CTIO and the AAT Telescope at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, five nights of service observing time at the 3.9m AAT at the Australian Astronomical Observatory will be available to the community during 2012B. All facility instruments are available.
Availability of the Blanco in 2012B: Starting in early 2012, CTIO will install and commission the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco 4-m telescope. Due to the complexity of this installation, involving significant work to the telescope structure, the telescope will be unavailable for most of the 2012A semester. Much of the 2012B semester will be used for DECam commissioning, science verification, and the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We expect about five weeks to be available for general observing. For more information see the article by Chris Smith and Nicole van der Bliek on page 18 of the March 2012 issue of the NOAO Newsletter. Note: an accident with the f/8 secondary mirror occurred late in February, just as the 2012B call for proposals was being prepared. The extent and implications of the mirror's damage are currently being investigated. DECam installation and commissioning should not be affected, but Hydra and ISPI will not be offered in 2012B as originally planned. See http://www.ctio.noao.edu/noao/content/blanco-f8-secondary-incident, which will be updated as more information is available.
SOAR Service & Remote Observing
Given limited staff availability, we cannot support service observing for NOAO proposals at SOAR.
For 2012B remote observing is being offered for NOAO and CNTAC proposals requesting time with SOI, OSIRIS, or the Goodman Spectrograph, provided: (a) the person who will carry out the observations has previously observed at SOAR using the instrument(s) requested in the proposal; and (b) our review of the proposal does not reveal any special technical requirements which would make it preferable to have an observer on-site. Remote observing with Spartan is not being offered at this time.
Remote observers are strongly advised to contact us well in advance of the date of their run to arrange a check to ensure that their hardware and software are correctly configured, and in particular that there are no firewall issues; this may require the help and participation of their local computer support experts. Please note that while our connection to the US internet is quite reliable, network outages do occasionally occur, often without advance warning, and typically at points along the route not under our control. Such failures will certainly impact the efficency of remote observing, and may cause the loss of part or all of the night's observing.
For more information, see http://www.soartelescope.org/observing/remote-observing-at-soar
SOAR Goodman Spectrograph: The Goodman spectrograph will be available for 2012B in single slit mode with the full complement of gratings. Imaging mode may also be used as a supporting component of a primarily spectroscopic program. Filters other than the U, B, V, and R set normally installed in the spectrograph, must be requested in the proposal, or it may not be possible to make them available.
SOAR Spartan IR Imager: The Spartan IR Camera is available in the low resolution mode. The high resolution mode is commissioned, but has seen very little use. Spartan should be preferred to OSIRIS for most IR imaging applications.
CTIO Small Telescopes: Time on the small telescopes at CTIO will be available to NOAO users in 2012B via the usual proposal process. The telescopes are now operated by the SMARTS consortium and NOAO is a 25% partner. Please see the CTIO SMARTS Page for details regarding instrument availability and observing modes.
In 2012B, observing time and services at the 0.9- and 1.0-m telescope will be reduced. From January 1, 2012, only one out of the 0.9-m and 1.0-m will operate at a time. In addition, as of May 2012, service observing at the 0.9-m telescope will only be offered in campaign mode, so regular monitoring projects will be much more difficult to accommodate. For more information, please see the article by Charles Bailyn on page 18 of the March 2012 issue of the NOAO Newsletter.
Be sure to specify whether you prefer service observing or classically-scheduled nights by choosing the appropriate mode selection on the proposal form, remembering that the 1.5m and 1.3m telescopes are only available in service/queue mode, the 1.0m telescope is only available in classical mode, while the 0.9m is scheduled service and classical in 7-night alternating blocks. If you are asking for 0.9m classical time, please note that requests for 7 full nights are strongly preferred.
Non-sidereal tracking is no longer supported as service or queue observing. Non-sidereal tracking does not work on the 1-m, so the only option for non-sidereal is user time on the 0.9m.
Note: Useful information for planning observations with KPNO Instruments Available for 2012B is summarized In the March 2012 NOAO Newsletter and at http://www.noao.edu/kpno/instruments.html
NEWFIRM (4m) NEWFIRM will be recommissioned in early 2012. Permanently installed filters include J, H, and Ks. See http://www.noao.edu/ets/newfirm/ for further information, filter availibility, and policy on filter changes.
Phoenix (4m and 2.1m) Phoenix, the NOAO high-resolution, 1- to 5-micron, infrared spectrograph has returned to KPNO after a stint at Gemini South. It will be offered at both the 4m and 2.1m telescopes in 2012B. Please see http://www.noao.edu/kpno/phoenix/ for the latest details before preparing a proposal.
KOSMOS (4m) Proposers should only write proposals for RCSP or MARS, but an interest in adapting the proposal to use KOSMOS may be expressed. See the KOSMOS update by Jay Elias on page 16 of the March 2012 NOAO Newsletter for more details.
MOSAIC (4m and 0.9m) The MOSAIC-1 camera has been upgraded with new E2V CCDs and Monsoon based controllers. It is offered for routine observing in 2012B. Availability at the WIYN 0.9m is strongly dependent on Mayall 4m scheduled use.
WIYN Instruments in 2012B The early part of the semester will be used for engineering verification of the partially populated focal plane of the One Degree Imager (pODI), with additional blocks scheduled throughout the rest of the semester for commissioning. All other instruments will share the second Nasmyth port. We will be block scheduling MiniMo+WHIRC, SparsePak+WHIRC, and Hydra and currently expect to offer Hydra only once sometime in the latter three months of 2012B (depending on proposal demands and support availability.)
MIMO (WIYN) Plans are underway to upgrade MIMO. This upgrade will include new detectors, electronics, and operating system. Please see www.wiyn.org/observe/status.html prior to submitting your proposal to check on the status of the upgrade plan.
WHIRC (WIYN) WHIRC was built by Dr. Margaret Meixner (STSci) and collaborators. Proposals requiring use with WTTM should explicitly state this; new users of WTTM are advised to consult KPNO support staff for details. Please see http://www.wiyn.org/observe/status.html for details on newly installed filters and WTTM upgrade plans.
GoldCam (2.1m) The GoldCam CCD spectrograph has been pulled from service on the 2.1-m telescope after developing a serious degradation in performance. The cause is under invesigation and we are considering options for upgrading or replacing the detector.
CFIM (2.1m) T2KB is the default CCD for CFIM. STA2, with MONSOON controller, is available on request. Its main advantages are better DQE than T2KB, especially in U and B, and faster readout. The field is somewhat smaller; 10.2' (RA) x 6.6' (DEC), pixel scale is same as for T2KB. Potential users should consult KPNO support staff for details.
The following telescope/instrument/detector combinations are available in 2012B. This list is revised twice a year and is published in the NOAO Newsletter and on this web page (http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/help/facilities.html .)
| Instruments at Gemini Telescopes | |
|---|---|
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| Gemini North | |
| GMOS-N | Gemini Optical Imager, Multi-Object Spectrograph and IFU |
| GNIRS | Gemini Near Infra-Red Spectrograph |
| NIRI | Near-Infrared Imager |
| NIRI + Altair | Near-IR Imager with NGS or LGS AO system |
| NIFS | near-IR IFU spectrograph |
| NIFS + Altair | near-IR IFU spectrograph with NGS or LGS AO system |
| Michelle | Mid-IR Imager, Spectrometer |
| Gemini South | |
| GMOS-S | Gemini Optical Imager, Multi-Object Spectrograph and IFU |
| NICI | Near-IR Coronagraphic Imager |
| Subaru (Exchange Time) | |
| COMICS | Cooled Mid-IR Camera and Spectrometer |
| FMOS | Near-IR Fiber-Fed Multi-Object Spectrograph |
| HDS | High Dispersion Spectrograph |
| IRCS | IR Camera and Spectrograph |
| IRCS+AO188 | IRCS + Natural and Laser Guide Star AO |
| MOIRCS | Multi-Object IR Camera and Spectrograph |
| Suprime-Cam | wide-field Optical Imager |
| Instruments at the MMT Telescope | |
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| RCHAN | MMT Spectrograph, Red Channel |
| BCHAN | MMT Spectrograph, Blue Channel |
| Hectospec | Hectospec (fiber-fed moderate-dispersion MOS) (PI Instrument) |
| Hectochelle | Hectochelle (fiber-fed high-dispersion MOS)(PI Instrument) |
| MIRAC-BLINK | Mid-Infrared Imager (Rockwell 128x128 Si:As BIB array) (PI Instrument) |
| SPOL | CCD Imaging/Spectropolarimeter (PI Instrument) |
| ARIES | 1-5 micron imager and spectrograph (PI Instrument) |
| CLIO | thermal-IR AO camera (PI Instrument) |
| SWIRC | wide-field IR camera (PI Instrument) |
| MAESTRO | MMT Advanced Echelle Spectrograph (PI Instrument) |
| PISCES | wide-field IR camera (PI Instrument) |
| MMTPol | IR AO imaging polarimeter (PI Instrument) |
| Instruments at the Hale Telescope | |
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| DBSP | Double Spectrograph |
| TSpec | TripleSpec |
| Instruments at the AAT at the Australian Astronomical Observatory | |
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| AAOmega+2dF | Fiber-fed Optical Spectrograph |
| AAOmega+SPIRAL | 512-element optical IFU |
| IRIS2 | n-IR imager and longslit/multi-slit spectrograph |
| UCLES | cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph |
| UHRF | ultra high resolution echelle spectrograph |
| Primary Instruments/Detectors at CTIO Telescopes | |
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| 4-m Blanco Telescope | |
| DECam | Dark Energy Camera |
| 4-m SOAR Telescope | |
| Goodman | Goodman Spectrograph + Fairchild 4Kx4K CCD |
| SOI | SOAR Optical Imager + E2V 4Kx4K Mosaic |
| OSIRIS | Ohio State IR Imager/Spectrometer |
| Spartan | Spartan IR Imager |
| 1.5-m Telescope | |
| CSPEC+L1K | Cass Spectrograph + Loral 1200x800 CCD |
| CHIRON | CHIRON fiber echelle spectrograph |
| 1.3m Telescope | |
| ANDI+CCDIR | Cass Direct + CCD/IR Queue-Service |
| 1.0m Telescope | |
| CFIM+4K | Cass Direct Imaging + 4K CCD |
| 0.9-m Telescope | |
| CFIM+T2K | Cass Direct + SITe 2K CCD |
| Primary Instruments/Detectors at KPNO Telescopes | |
| Proposal Code | Instrument/Detector |
| 4-m Mayall Telescope | |
| MOSA | Prime Focus CCD Camera with Mosaic Imager |
| NEWFIRM | very wide-field IR imager |
| Phoenix | Phoenix hi-res IR Spectrometer |
| KOSMOS | Kitt Peak Ohio State Multi-Object Spectrograph |
| FLMN | IR Imager/Spectrometer with 2Kx2K HgCdTe |
| FLMNM | IR Imager/Spectrometer with 2Kx2K HgCdTe + multislits |
| MARS | Multi-Aperture Red Spectrometer, longslit |
| MARSM | Multi-Aperture Red Spectrometer + multislits |
| RCSPL+T2KA | R-C Spectrograph + T2KA CCD, Longslit |
| RCSPM+T2KA | R-C Spectrograph + T2KA CCD, Multislits |
| RCSPL+LB1A | R-C Spectrograph + LB1A 1980x800 CCD, Longslit |
| RCSPM+LB1A | R-C Spectrograph + LB1A 1980x800 CCD, Multislits |
| ECHLR+T2KA | Echelle Spectrograph (Red Long camera) |
| ECHLB+T2KA | Echelle Spectrograph (Blue Long camera) |
| ECHUV+T2KA | Echelle Spectrograph (UVFast camera) |
| WIYN (3.5-m Telescope) | |
| MIMO | Mini-Mosaic Imager |
| HYDRB | Hydra + Bench Spectrograph + STA1 CCD, Blue camera |
| HYDRR | Hydra + Bench Spectrograph + STA1 CCD, Red camera |
| SPSPKB | SparsePak Fiber Array + Bench Spectrograph + STA1, Blue camera |
| SPSPKR | SparsePak Fiber Array + Bench Spectrograph + STA1, Red camera |
| WHIRC | WIYN High Resolution IR Camera |
| 2.1-m Telescope | |
| CFIM+T2KB | CCD Imager, T2KB |
| CFIM+STA2 | CCD Imager, STA2 |
| Phoenix | hi-res IR Spectrometer |
| FLMN | IR Imager/Spectrometer with 2Kx2K HgCdTe |
| WIYN-0.9m Telescope | |
| MOSA | Prime Focus CCD Camera with Mosaic Imager |
QUESTIONS? You can contact staff scientists using the information linked below.
Gemini assistance is available by sending email to an NOAO Gemini Science Center Instrument Support Scientist, to ngsc@noao.edu, or through the Gemini Help Desk at http://helpdesk.gemini.edu/.
Send email to this general email address: mmt@noao.edu
Send email to this general email address: hale@noao.edu
Please see CTIO's Staff Contact List.
Please see KPNO's Staff Contact List.
Proposal questions, as well as any comments and/or suggestions, may be
directed to noaoprop-help@noao.edu
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NOAO is operated by the
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Inc. under cooperative agreement with the
National Science Foundation. |
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NOAO > Observing Information > 2012A Instruments List |
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