NOAO > Observing Information > 2008B Instruments List
|
NOAO > Observing Information > 2008B Instruments List |
|
Observing time at the facilities available through the National Optical Astronomy Observatory is allocated via peer review twice a year. Standard proposals must be received by 31 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, Keck, Magellan, MMT, CTIO, and KPNO for the 2008B semester.
The following changes to instrumentation at all facilities available
through NOAO including Gemini North and South, Keck, Magellan,
MMT, CTIO, and KPNO are
noted here to alert investigators preparing proposals. For
more information, see the NOAO Newsletter.
The International Gemini Observatory has issued a Call for Proposals for 2008B. Gemini and Subaru are continuing their time-exchange program that makes available Suprime-Cam (prime-focus optical imager, 0.5 degree field) and MOIRCS (near-IR wide field imager and multi-object spectrograph). Proposals for Subaru time should be submitted through Gemini's Phase-I Tool (PIT).
Keck: A minimum of sixteen (and potentially as many as 21) nights of classically-scheduled observing time will be available to the community on the 10-m telescopes of the W.M. Keck Observatory in 2008B. All facility-class instruments and modes (including interferometry) are available to the community.
Magellan: A total of ten nights of classically scheduled time on the 6.5-m Baade and Clay telescopes of the Magellan Project at Las Campanas Observatory will be available to the community in 2008B.
MMT: Approximately eight nights of classically scheduled time on the 6.5-m telescope at the MMT Observatory will be available to the community during 2008B.
HET: The current agreement between TSIP and HET will expire at the end of the 2008A observing semester.
SOAR Imaging:
The SOAR Optical Imager (SOI) and the the IR imaging spectrograph OSIRIS are available for classical (visitor) observing during 2008B.
SOAR Goodman Spectrograph
The Goodman spectrograph will be available for 2008B as "shared risk" in single slit mode with the low and medium resolution gratings only. Direct imaging mode is also available, but only if associated with the spectroscopy. For imaging programs alone SOI should be chosen. We solicit programs of any length, including short programs requiring as little as 0.5 nights. Such short programs will be carried out in servicing observing mode by scientific staff at SOAR. We also suggest the combination of a short "familiarization" program on SOAR with the Goodman spectrograph plus the main program carried out the Blanco with the RC spectrograph, since although the RC spectrograph on the Blanco telescope will remain available in 2008B, it is our intent to retire it when the Goodman spectrograph is fully commissioned. The available documentation includes a comparison between the Goodman and RC spectrographs. At scheduling time we will review the Goodman proposals, if there are too many well-ranked programs or if there are technical reasons, we will consider moving some programs to the RC spectrograph on the Blanco telescope.
Visitor Instruments at the Blanco 4-m: Visitor instruments are difficult for us to accommodate, and may not be possible to schedule despite a high grade from the TAC. Prior discussion is essential so that advice can be given on whether a proposed instrument would be acceptable. We prefer that any proposal be substantial (e.g. a week), and that the scheduling window be 2-3 months wide. Possible long term loan of a visitor instrument that is of potential interest to the broad US community should be initiated by contact with the CTIO Director.
Blanco 4-m RC Spectrograph: The RC spectrograph will be available in 2008B, assuming a total of at least of 6 nights are requested by proposals above the scheduling cut-off. The Goodman spectrograph on SOAR (in shared risk mode) is an alternative, offering generally better performance. compared to the RC spectrograph.
CTIO Small Telescopes: Time on the small telescopes at CTIO will be available to NOAO users in 2008B 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.
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.
DENSEPAK (WIYN): Due to a failure of the Densepak fiber cable, it will not be available at WIYN in semester 2008B. Please consider using Sparsepak instead.
NEWFIRM (4m): Permamemtly installed filters include J, H, and Ks. PLease see http://www.noao.edu/ets/newfirm/ for an update on availability/scheduling of other filters and additional information.
OPTIC (WIYN): Some WIYN imaging nights might be scheduled with the visiting University of Hawaii OPTIC camera instead of Mini-Mosaic. For details, please see the article on page 35 of the September 2004 issue of the NOAO Newsletter and the article on page 35 of the March 2006 NOAO Newsletter. In your technical justification please explicitly state any preference between MIMO and OPTIC for your observing needs. The fast-guiding capability of OPTIC is now a supported mode for NOAO users on WIYN.
IRMOS (4m): The IR multi-object spectrograph will be available pending sufficient proposal demand and block-scheduling constraints.
WHIRC (WIYN): This IR camera, built by Dr. Margaret Meixner (STScI) and collaborators, will be available for shared-risk imaging in 2008B. WHIRC is currently undergoing acceptance testing and commissioning with the WTTM module. Using WHIRC with the WTTM module is not likely to be available during 2008B, and those proposing to use the instrument should not depend on the availability of this mode. However, if commissioning is completed in time, we might offer this mode for use in late 2008B. Please watch http://www.noao.edu/kpno/WHIRC_instrument.htm for updates.
The following telescope/instrument/detector combinations are available in 2008B. This list is revised twice a year and is published in the NOAO Newsletter (March and September issues) and on this web page (http://www.noao.edu/noaoprop/help/facilities.html .)
A schedule of instrument availability for future semesters is available for CTIO facilities at http://www.ctio.noao.edu/telescopes/TheFuture/crystal_ball.html.
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: keck@noao.edu, or (for instrument questions only) directly contact the "CARA Contact" listed on the Keck Instruments Page.
Send email to this general email address: magellan@noao.edu
Send email to this general email address: mmt@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
|
NOAO is operated by the
Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA),
Inc. under cooperative agreement with the
National Science Foundation. |
|
|
NOAO > Observing Information > 2008B Instruments List |
|