Important Notes for all LDT Visitors
All LDT visitors are expected to be familiar with, and abide by the following.
- ALCOHOL/DRUGS: Please do not bring to or consume alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs at the LDT. Per the Lowell Observatory Personnel Manual,
" Consumption of alcohol is prohibited in all Lowell facilities, including telescopes, except at company sponsored events approved by the Director." (Lowell Personnel Manual, section 4.03)
This is primarily a safety issue. Secondarily, for receipt of Federal grants, Lowell must certify that we run a drug free work place, so noncompliance potentially endangers the long term viability of the Observatory. All Lowell facilities includes (but is not limited to) the LDT, NPOI, the Anderson Mesa telescopes and all the Lowell lodging facilities (the GM Lodge, the Mars Hill Lodge, the Chalet, and the Tombaugh Apartment). - HARASSMENT: "[Everyone has] the right to an environment free of any type of harassment. The intentions of the alleged harasser shall not be a determining factor in applying the definition of conduct considered to be harassment. ... If you feel you have been subjected to harassment, you are encouraged – but not required – to tell the offending person that the conduct is unwelcome and to stop. A person who receives such a request must immediately comply and must not retaliate against you for rejecting the conduct." (LO Personnel Manual, section 4.04)
There is more detail on Lowell Observatory policy in the Lowell Personnel Manual, section 4.04, and all Lowell personnel should be familiar with this. - COMPUTERS: If you are bringing a personal or company computer to Lowell, please ensure that the operating system has had all patches and security updates installed, and is virus free before connecting to the Lowell networks. Similarly, please ensure that all external storage devices (e.g. USB thumb drives, portable hard drives, flash memory, etc.) have been checked to be virus free before connecting them to Lowell computers.
OPERATIONS AT THE TELESCOPE WHEN NOT THE CURRENT OBSERVER: If there is another party observing, and you would like to access the telescope or instruments (even to do internal calibrations, or similar self contained operations), you must contact the people observing at that time as well as the TOs. If you don't know the observers, start with the TOs, as they will know who is observing. The observers have the right to decline any such operations if they feel that they might interfere with what they are doing.
From a safety perspective, LDT staff need to be aware of any operations taking place at the telescope. From a science perspective, the observers of record may have concerns that other operations might have unanticipated impacts on their observations.