Subject: DCT 2017Q2 schedule released & observer information
Dear 2017Q2 DCT Observers,
Please read this entire email as some information has changed.
# 2017Q2 Schedule released
The 2017Q2 DCT observing schedule is now available at:
For the nights you are on, please check the on-line schedule for
details, especially that the instrument configuration listed is what
you expect.
This schedule is being released as a Draft on 2017-02-27. The Draft
status will be removed at the end of the day Wednesday 2017-03-01.
Please notify the scheduler (hroe@lowell.edu) of any issues as soon as
possible. The sooner we know of any issues the more likely we are able
to fix them.
# DCT Observing Documentation
All documents (manuals, policies, guides, etc) related to observing at
DCT are available at:
Please let us know if you find anything is missing, unclear, or out-of-date.
Email questions & comments to the DCT Scheduler (Henry Roe, hroe@lowell.edu)
or partnership point-of-contact (Michael West, mwest@lowell.edu).
# New Observers
If you are a first time observer to DCT, or you are using a new
instrument, please email DCT staff so that we can set up time on your
first night to cover any questions or issues you are wondering about.
Typically a Lowell staff member will meet you out at the DCT about an
hour before sunset for this.
If you have not been to the site before, please don't enter without a
Lowell staffer, or someone who is familiar with the site. There is an
alarm that needs to be dis-armed, and it is not always obvious how.
Your lodging packet should include keys and written instructions about
the gate and alarm codes.
# Coordinating with your Telescope Operator
Please contact your Telecope Operator(s) in advance to let them know
when you plan to arrive, how many people they should expect and if there
is anything out of the ordinary that you will want or need. The Science
Schedule lists the TOs along with their contact information.
If you are splitting a night with someone else, and you and they agree
on some modification(s) to the schedule, please let the TOs and DCT
Scheduler (tac@lowell.edu) know ahead of time. Handover time on split
nights is listed on the schedule and is typically local astronomical
midnight.
# Remote Observing
We are committed to providing remote observing support only on nights that
show "Remote" in the "Remote" column on the Science Schedule. If the "Remote"
column is blank, then you are expected to observe from on-site in Happy Jack.
If the "Remote" column lists "Requested" then we are still working to
schedule staff in order to support remote observing. We will attempt to
support as many of the "Requested" nights as possible. We will update the
schedule as soon as possible & will contact affected observers if their
request for remote observing is unable to be supported.
Please review the DCT Remote Observing pages, especially the Requirements
for Remote Observing:
Please communicate ahead of time with your TO.
We recommend that you put together a detailed, written back up
observing plan that you can share with your TO in case your internet
connection goes down. Bear in mind that if this is needed, the person
who will be doing the observing is not an expert in your science, so
put in everything, even if you think it is obvious. If you don't
leave us a plan, we do have engineering tasks that can be done if your
connection is lost but the time will still be charged to your
institution.
If you have not observed remotely with DCT before, we strongly
recommend that you set up a time to test out the tools ahead of your
run.
# Target of Opportunity Observations (ToO)
Observers are responsible for having read & understood the ToO Policy &
Procedures so they know what to expect if a ToO is triggered & what is
expected of them. These are available at:
# Weather considerations:
Please try to make your decision about whether or not to call off your
observing time at least 1 HOUR before your TO plans to leave to go to
DCT. Typically, the TOs aim to leave Lowell's in town campus about 2
to 2.5 hours before sunset - it takes about an hour to get to the DCT,
and 30 to 60 minutes to bring the facility on-line (if all goes well).
Since they have an hour drive to the site, plus commute time to get to
Mars Hill before that, for first half, this will typically mean
something like 3 hours before sunset, and for second half, about 9pm.
# Visitors invited to give Colloquia
If you would like to give a colloquium or lunch time talk at
Lowell about your research, we'd love to hear it. If you are coming
from out of town, please consider staying an extra day or two. We'll
put you up on Mars Hill. If you have time and are interested, please
contact Joe Llama (joe.llama@lowell.edu), who organizes our
colloquia.
# Logistics - Transport and Lodging:
In general, transport to and from the DCT site is the responsibility
of the observer(s). DCT staff are happy to coordinate, and carry
people on a space available basis, but we don't necessarily have
someone going to/from Flagstaff everyday, so please don't assume this
is an option.
The Giovale-Millis Lodge (in Mule Park, near the telescope) is
available for use if you would like to stay near the site. If you do,
you will need to stop up at Lowell to get keys (for both the lodge and
the DCT) and site instructions, and you should pick up groceries and
such in Flagstaff as there is very little available near the DCT.
There are a few things to be aware of:
1) There is a satellite network connection at the Mule Park Lodge, so
there is email, but bandwidth is limited, so no streaming video.
2) There are 2 bedrooms/4 beds but only one working bathroom (it's a
long story). The third bedroom is reserved for night staff use.
3) Up to one month before a night, preference for lodge space is given
to people working at DCT that night (ie the assigned observers, and
night staff). After that space is mostly on an as available basis.
If you want to come early or stay later and there is not space at
the GM Lodge, we will try to accommodate you in the lodging on Mars
Hill (the Mars Hill Lodge, and the Chalet). Please read the GM
Lodge policy that is attached to the Lodging for DCT runs page for
the actual details:
You will need to arrange with Diana Weintraub (email address below)
to pick up and drop off your keys for DCT and any Lowell lodging you
might be using. Note that the GM Lodge rooms have been keyed, so you
need both a house key and a room key.
The Lowell lodging reservations page is
# Instrument Details
## LMI:
The LMI users manual is available at:
Note that following the detector swap & mirror re-aluminization we are
determining new zero-points and sensitivities.
We cannot mount all filters all the time, so please check that the filters
listed for your time are correct. The intended filter complement for each
night is listed on the observing schedule:
LMI filters include
Johnson-Cousins UBVRI,
Sloan u'g'r'i'z',
a slightly wider version of the UKIDSS Y (on the red cut-off, we are
calling it Yish),
HalphaOn and Off,
VR filter,
[OIII] filter,
comet filters
## DeVeny:
The latest documentation is on the Lowell confluence site under:
Available gratings:
a) 300g/mm - 5000A blaze, 2.17A/pix, R ~ 920, 4440A Free Spectral Range
b) 400g/mm - 8500A blaze, 1.66A/pix, R ~ 2850, 3400A FSR
c) 1200g/mm - 5000A blaze, 0.58A/pix, R ~ 3450, 1180A FSR
d) 2160g/mm - 5000A blaze, 0.33A/pix, R ~ 5250, 1180A FSR
e) 150g/mm - 5000A blaze NOAO GCAM grating 201, on loan as of 20141029
Calibration lamps include: Hg, Ne, Ar, and Cd.
## NIHTS:
Due to the September 2016 fold mirror incident, NIHTS is not available
in 2017Q2. Please contact P.I. Henry Roe (hroe@lowell.edu) with any
questions.
## IGRINS:
IGRINS ended is not on the telescope in 2017Q2.
# Contact Info
## DCT phone numbers:
(928) 268-2914 - main
(928) 354-2674 - backup
## Email addresses:
TOs:
Larson, Heidi - hlarson@lowell.edu
Pugh, Teznie - tpugh@lowell.edu
Sanborn, Jason - jaisen1@lowell.edu
Partnership Point-of-Contact:
West, Michael - mwest@lowell.edu
DCT Scheduler:
Roe, Henry - hroe@lowell.edu
Engineering Support:
DeGroff, Bill - bdegroff@lowell.edu
Sweaton, Mike - msweaton@lowell.edu
Science and Instrument Support:
Levine, Stephen - sel@lowell.edu
LMI Support:
Massey, Phil - massey@lowell.edu
DeVeny Support:
Bida, Tom - tbida@lowell.edu
NIHTS Support:
Roe, Henry - hroe@lowell.edu
IGRINS Support:
Prato, Lisa - lprato@lowell.edu
Logistics Support:
Blazek, Catie - catie@lowell.edu
Weintraub, Diana - dweintraub@lowell.edu