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Instrument Availability and Target Accessibility: 2006B

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Instrument Availability and Target Accessibility: 2006B

The tables below indicate the current best estimates of instrument availability and corresponding target (RA, dec) accessibility for 2006B. 

As there are more instruments than the number of available ports on each telescope, and with the arrival of TEXES at Gemini North, and anticipated arrival of NICI and Flamingos-2 at Gemini South, instrument swaps will be required. Therefore not all instruments will be available for the entire semester. The defined RA ranges combine possible instrument exchanges with best-guess schedules. Where possible we have tried to minimize the restrictions to applicants and thus it is possible that some targets or entire programs might not be feasible when the final queue and schedule are assembled at ITAC or thereafter.

Typically several observations or programs are rejected at the ITAC each semester because of target accessibility so please read carefully the following notes:

  • For each given declination, the table shows the target RA that has two hours above airmass = 2 at the start of the night early in the semester ("minimum" RA) and the target RA that has two hours above airmass = 2 at the end of the night late in the semester ("maximum" RA).
    • For some high and low declinations (noted *), an airmass limit of 2.5 is used.
    • If best image quality is desired, typically achieved at smaller zenith distance, the RA range should be reduced appropriately.
  • The comments column indicates whether all RAs are potentially observable. 
    • "no restriction" means that all RAs are potentially observable. 
    • "restricted" means that only RAs between the "minimum" and "maximum" would be observable given the stated assumptions. Targets with RA less than the "minimum" would set too early in the night and targets with RA greater than the "maximum" would rise too late.
  • At the extrema of the RA range, shown by the early- and late-semester values, targets may not be observable in practice due to detailed instrument and engineering schedules and other constraining factors (e.g. lunar phase). Moreover, the time for which the target (RA, dec) is accessible may be very limited and applicants should bear this in mind for faint targets. The likelihood of execution is greatly increased if extreme RAs are avoided. 

Gemini North

Instrument(s) declination
(deg)
RA range (hh mm)
Comments "minimum" RA
(early semester)
"maximum" RA
(late semester)
NIRI

GMOS North

80 *  no restriction 14h 50m 15h 50m
70  no restriction 15h 20m 15h 20m
60  no restriction 14h 40m 15h 50m
50  no restriction 14h 40m 16h 00m
40   no restriction 14h 30m 16h 10m
30  no restriction 14h 40m 16h 00m
20  no restriction 14h 50m 16h 00m
10  no restriction 15h 00m 15h 40m
0  no restriction 15h 10m 15h 30m
-10  restricted 15h 30m 15h 10m
-20  restricted 16h 00m 14h 40m
-30  restricted 16h 40m 14h 00m
-40 *  restricted 17h 00m 13h 40m
HIRES (on Keck) all  restricted Available for two nights in 1-6 September, one night in 1-6 October and two nights in 6-11 December
NIFS

(will share up-looking port with Michelle and TEXES; expected to be available in August, possibly into September, and then available again in December and January)

80 *  no restriction 14h 50m 15h 50m
70  no restriction 15h 20m 15h 20m
60  no restriction 14h 40m 15h 50m
50  no restriction 14h 40m 16h 00m
40   no restriction 14h 30m 16h 10m
30  no restriction 14h 40m 16h 00m
20  no restriction 14h 50m 16h 00m
10  no restriction 15h 00m 15h 40m
0  no restriction 15h 10m 15h 30m
-10  restricted 15h 30m 15h 10m
-20  restricted 16h 00m 14h 40m
-30  restricted 16h 40m 14h 00m
-40 *  restricted 17h 00m 13h 40m
Michelle

(will share up-looking port with NIFS and TEXES; expected to be available from September until mid-November)

80 *  restricted 16h 50m 10h 50m
70  restricted 17h 20m 10h 20m
60  restricted 16h 40m 10h 50m
50  restricted 16h 40m 11h 00m
40   restricted 16h 30m 11h 10m
30  restricted 16h 40m 11h 00m
20  restricted 16h 50m 11h 00m
10  restricted 17h 00m 10h 40m
0  restricted 17h 10m 10h 30m
-10  restricted 17h 30m 10h 10m
-20  restricted 18h 00m 9h 40m
-30  restricted 18h 40m 9h 00m
-40 *  restricted 19h 00m 9h 40m
TEXES

(will share up-looking port with NIFS and Michelle; expected to be available mid- to late-November only)

80 *  restricted 21h 50m 11h 50m
70  restricted 22h 20m 11h 20m
60  restricted 21h 40m 11h 50m
50  restricted 21h 40m 12h 00m
40   restricted 21h 30m 12h 10m
30  restricted 21h 40m 12h 00m
20  restricted 21h 50m 12h 00m
10 restricted 22h 00m 11h 40m
0  restricted 22h 10m 11h 30m
-10  restricted 22h 30m 11h 10m
-20  restricted 23h 00m 10h 40m
-30  restricted 23h 40m 10h 00m
-40 *  restricted 0h 00m 9h 40m
Suprime-Cam and MOIRCS (on Subaru) all TBD  see the Subaru Call for Proposals for an update of any scheduling constraints

Gemini South

Instrument(s) declination
(deg)
RA range (hh mm)
Comments "minimum" RA
(early semester)
"maximum" RA
(late semester)
GNIRS

Phoenix

Acquisition Camera

30 *  restricted 16h 00m 12h 00m
20  restricted 15h 40m 12h 30m
10  restricted 14h 50m 13h 10m
0  restricted 14h 20m 13h 50m
-10   no restriction 13h 50m 14h 10m
-20  no restriction 13h 40m 14h 30m
-30  no restriction 13h 20m 14h 50m
-40  no restriction 13h 00m 15h 00m
-50  no restriction 12h 50m 15h 20m
-60  no restriction 12h 40m 15h 30m
-70  no restriction 12h 30m 15h 40m
-80  no restriction 12h 20m 15h 50m

GMOS South

bHROS

(will share side-looking port with Flamingos-2; assumed to be available until end September; might be available later depending on Flamingos-2 arrival)

30 *  restricted 16h 00m 4h 00m
20  restricted 15h 40m 4h 30m
10  restricted 14h 50m 5h 10m
0  restricted 14h 20m 5h 50m
-10   restriction 13h 50m 6h 10m
-20  restriction 13h 40m 6h 30m
-30  restriction 13h 20m 6h 50m
-40  restricted 13h 00m 7h 00m
-50  restricted 12h 50m 7h 20m
-60  restricted 12h 40m 7h 30m
-70  restricted 12h 30m 7h 40m
-80  restricted 12h 20m 7h 50m
T-ReCS

(shares up-looking port with NICI; assumed to be available after end October; might be available early in semester - and unavailable later - depending on NICI arrival and commissioning)

30 *  restricted 22h 00m 12h 00m
20  restricted 21h 40m 12h 30m
10  restricted 20h 50m 13h 10m
0  restricted 20h 20m 13h 50m
-10   restricted 19h 50m 14h 10m
-20  restricted 19h 40m 14h 30m
-30  restricted 19h 20m 14h 50m
-40  restricted 19h 00m 15h 00m
-50  restricted 18h 50m 15h 20m
-60  restricted 18h 40m 15h 30m
-70  restricted 18h 30m 15h 40m
-80  restricted 18h 20m 15h 50m


Last update February 28, 2006; Phil Puxley & Bernadette Rodgers


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