GPI has arrived at Cerro Pachon

The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) traveled from the University of California Santa Cruz to Gemini South and is now on the summit of Cerro Pachón. GPI remained in crates during the busy Gemini South maintenance shutdown.

Unpacking just began, and GPI was reassembled in the instrument lab on August 29. If everything checks out successfully, GPI will be mounted on the telescope at the very end of October, with first light on sky sometime during November. Because no on-sky commissioning has been completed yet, the instrument will not be part of the regular 2014A call for proposals. However, we are aiming to conduct some early science observations, selected through an open call to the community, during the semester. More details will be provided as the instrument commissioning proceeds.