LOCATION

The Gemini offices in Hilo are located at:
GEMINI OBSERVATORY
Northern Operations Center
670 N. A'ohoku Place
Hilo, Hawaii, 96720, United States
Phone: (+1) 808 974 2500                Fax: (+1) 808 974 2589

See a map of the local area.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR A GEMINI NORTH OBSERVING RUN

When approval has been given and time allocated, the Principal Investigator (P.I.) of the observing team will be notified by his or her National Gemini Office.

The P.I. or observer should then complete the following forms and forward them by email attachment, fax or mail, to Korey Halsch, the Administrative Support Specialist for Gemini North. Korey will confirm your arrangements and send you the Visitors Guide to Gemini North, in preparation for your visit.

Korey Halsch       khalsch@gemini.edu
Phone: +1 808-974-2536    Fax: +1 808-974-2648

Please download and submit these forms:

• Visitor Preparation (PDF) – complete and return
• Emergency Contact Information (PDF) – complete and return
• Liability Notice (PDF) – complete and return
• Visitors Safety Policy (PDF) - initial each page, AND complete the signature page

IMPORTANT: These documents MUST be completed and returned to Korey by mail, fax or email attachment (Word, Excel, scanned PDF, JPG or PNG) at least four weeks in advance of your visit.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

Visiting astronomers are responsible for arranging and paying for their own travel, including airline tickets, visas, insurance, car rentals, and hotels. The Visitors Guide, which Korey will send to you, includes a list of hotels and car rental agencies, plus maps and information about Hilo and Hawaii Island (the Big Island).

Gemini will make the arrangements for lodging and meals during your stay at Hale Pohaku, the visitor support facility located at the 9,200-foot level on Mauna Kea. Gemini will bill you for your Hale Pohaku lodging and meals at the end of your observing run. Gemini does not provide vehicles for observers, but we will provide transportation between Hale Pohaku and the summit of Mauna Kea. You will need to rent a vehicle to drive to and from Hale Pohaku.

ARRIVING AT GEMINI NORTH

When you arrive at Gemini North, please contact Korey Halsch for your safety and operations orientation. If office access has been requested, we will issue keys, conduct alarm system training and assign a workstation and computer account. You are strongly encouraged to arrive on the Big Island in time to spend at least half a day in the office meeting with your allocated Observing Support Scientist. One night acclimatizing to the altitude at Hale Pohaku is mandatory, before your run is scheduled to start.

WORKING AT HIGH ALTITUDE

Each individual reacts differently to working at high altitude. Observers proposing to work on Mauna Kea should be medically fit for such work and not have conditions that would be inconsistent with work at high altitude. Gemini and those acting in its behalf have no liability with respect to the risks associated with work at the telescope by observers. Visitors are not required to produce a high-altitude medical certificate but are required to sign a Liability Notice and acknowledge that they have read our Visitors Safety Policy. See the Visitors Guide for more information about the risks of working at high altitude.

SETTLING YOUR ACCOUNT WITH GEMINI

At the end of the observing run, visiting astronomers will be expected to settle their accounts and indicate all expenses incurred for their teams. Chargeable items include:

• Room and board at Hale Pohaku (currently $100.00 per night) which includes meals beginning with dinner upon check-in and ending with lunch upon check-out.
• Rental of cold-weather gear ($6.00)
• Other costs incurred by Gemini on behalf of the P.I. and team

Payments must be made in U.S. funds by cash, credit card, check or money order payable to Gemini Observatory. Gemini will not schedule observing time for any P.I. who has overdue charges from a previous run.

AFTER YOUR OBSERVING RUN 

We’d like to know how everything went. Please complete and submit a Feedback form:

Queue Observing Run Feedback 
Classical Observing Run Feedback 

Papers containing data from the Gemini telescopes should include the appropriate acknowledgement. Please see Acknowledging Gemini for more information.

Please read the Gemini image/Video Usage Policy if you wish to use Gemini images and videos.

Please let us know when you’ve written a paper based on data collected from the Gemini telescopes. See the Gemini Publications page for more information.