Subject: APO 3.5m OPEN time - send requests ASAP!

From: elt@astro.Princeton.EDU

Submitted: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 15:06:12 -0400 (EDT)

Message number: 517 (previous: 516, next: 518 up: Index)

Due to good progress over the weekend in the on-sky
recommisioning of the 3.5m and a favorable weather
forecast, it now appears highly likely that the telescope
will be available for science operations starting Wednesday
night (August 29), three nights ahead of schedule!  See
the attached copy of Friday's message (apo35-general #515
for further info).

So, PLEASE SEND REQUESTS FOR OBSERVING TIME ON THE NIGHTS OF
AUGUST 29-31, INCLUSIVE TO ME ASAP (elt@astro.princeton.edu).
I will review the requests starting at 3pm EDT tomorrow, Tuesday
August 28, just about 24 hours from now.  The available time
amounts to 6 half nights of bright time.  This time will not be
charged to institutional allotments/shares and so it is not 
necessary to have requests approved by institutional schedulers
(particularly because of the tight time constraints), but they
should be copied on all such requests.

The telescope and all of its standard instruments are fully
operational as far as we know, and there are thus no special
restrictions on the type of observations that may be requested.
Of course, since we are just coming out of an extended shutdown
and extensive engineering work, there is some increase in the
probability of unexpected problems.  If any such are uncovered,
fixing them may well take priority over the science programs,
but I believe that this is a relatively small risk.

The forecast for the end of this week is reasonably good, and monsoon
activity has been mild in recent nights (only affecting the first
part of the night typically) and appears to be decreasing (right on
shcedule).

Ed Turner

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

>Subject: possible* OPEN 3.5m observing time 8/29-31 
>
>From: elt@astro.Princeton.EDU
>
>Submitted: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 16:19:09 -0400 (EDT)
>
>Message number: 515 (previous: 514, next: 516 up: Index) 
>
>The scheduled shutdown of the 3.5m during the summer monsoon season
>has gone very well due to the efforts of the engineering staff,
>and there is a significant possibility that the shutdown work,
>including on-sky recommisioning of the telescope and instruments
>(which is, of course, weather dependent) will be finished EARLY!
>
>If no unexpected problems are encountered (knock on wood) and if
>the weather causes no significant delays, it might be possible to
>resume science operations as early as Wednesday evening, August 29.
>This would provide 3 additional nights of telescope time, i.e., time
>not currently scheduled for specific scince programs.  This would be
>bright time.  Of course, it is also possible that only 1 or 2 of the
>nights would be available, or none at all, if things do not go so
>smoothly.
>
>So, this message is a "heads up".  If it still appears likely that 
>any time will be available early next week, I will invite requests
>for the available OPEN time on Monday or Tuesday.  I hope this alert
>gives you sufficient time to consider reasonable possibilities for
>responses to this very short lead time opportunity, if it occurs.
>
>Time allocated for Aug. 29-31 will not be charged to institutional
>allocations.
>
>Ed Turner

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