SOAR 2019B Observing Opportunities

Submitted by jelias on Wed, 2019-03-06 11:02

(Updated June 4)

Several special opportunities are available for SOAR in 2019B - interested parties should visit the SOAR links listed below for details beyond the summary here:

TripleSpec 4.1 availability (including science verification)

The TripleSpec instrument (ex-ARCOIRIS, re-baptized TripleSpec 4.1) is being commissioned in March, with possible science verification in April and June. People interested in proposing can do so using performance information from the Blanco telescope. Any time granted in 2019B will be shared-risk, of course. See the SOAR TSpec web page for updates and further details. Questions should be directed to the TSpec instrument scientist, Sean Points.

We are also conducting science verification during April and June engineering time. Please see the SV proposal page for details.

Queue scheduling opportunity

SOAR is actively engaged in the Astronomical Event Observatory Network (AEON) project. As part of this effort, we hope to schedule a modest fraction of SOAR nights in queue mode in 2019B. Programs that would be included in this program must meet the following conditions:
- Programs must be feasible in SOAR's current remote/classical mode
- Proposers require observations at a cadence of 2-4 weeks (or less frequently), set by the scheduled queue nights
- Proposers can use the Goodman spectrograph with the red camera and 400 l/mm grating and/or imaging mode
- Proposers have prior experience with the telescope and instrument
If you think your proposal may be suitable for participation, please contact the SOAR AEON Project Scientist, Cesar Briceño. All proposals are subject to approval through the standard time allocation process.
We will only provide this mode if we are confident it is working reliably; this is why proposals must be feasible without queue scheduling.

SOAR may also participate in a second AEON-related activity starting 2020A, the TOM Toolkit Workshop and Observing Program. We will make a final on the extent of our participation no later than June. Participation in the workshop is open to astronomers from across the SOAR consortium.

- Jay Elias