Subject: CorMASS availability at APO 3.5m

From: Ed Turner

Submitted: Mon, 10 May 2004 16:57:24 -0400 (EDT)

Message number: 776 (previous: 774/a>, next: 777 up: Index)

The CorMASS test run at the 3.5-m telescope last week was quite 
successful.  Sample spectra were taken of many targets that had been 
suggested by nearly a dozen ARC astronomers.  Mike Skrutskie 
and John Wilson, the Co-PIs for CorMASS, were able to take advantage of 
an easy integration to our systems, plus good skies, good seeing, and 
good pointing to put CorMASS through its paces on the telescope.  They 
report that they were easily able to acquire spectra of 15th 
magnitude objects, and that some examples of quickly reduced spectra 
can be seen at http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~mfs4n/cormass_apo/ and 
include:

	dd ser --- an evolved star
	mr ser --- a polar cataclysmic variable
	ngc4151 -- AGN
	ngc7027 -- a planetary nebula and our spectral calibrator
	pluto   -- a kuiper belt object
	sdss1624 - a methane brown dwarf
	wala4   -- an embedded yso

These spectra represent a small fraction of the science targets for the 
run.

Mike and John have agreed to temporarily leave the CorMASS instrument 
at APO, where it is being kept cold and ready to use.  They have 
offered its use to ARC astronomers who want to use it through the 
summer, and possibly into the fall.  Although many of you may have 
submitted your 3rd quarter proposals, substituting CorMASS for your 
present and 3rd quarter programs is a possibility you should explore 
with you scheduler, if you wish to take advantage of this unanticipated 
opportunity.  Alternatively, or in addition, you may submit Director's 
Discretionary time requests directly to me, in the standard format.

Operation of CorMASS at APO is currently only in "service" mode, or by 
your being present at the telescope.  Data reduction guides and 
routines exist, and operational and data reduction expertise has been 
developed by the site staff.

Ed Turner


APO APO APO APO APO  Apache Point Observatory 3.5m  APO APO APO
APO
APO  This is message 776 in the apo35-general archive. You can find
APO  the archive on http://www.astro.princeton.edu/APO/apo35-general/INDEX.html
APO  To join/leave the list, send mail to apo35-request@astro.princeton.edu
APO  To post a message, mail it to apo35-general@astro.princeton.edu
APO
APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO APO