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Procedures for Target of Opportunity Observations
Target of Opportunity(ToO) observations are intended to conduct
research for transient and/or rare phenomena as a part of the Subaru
open use observations. Applicants of accepted ToO proposals can submit
their request to use their allotted nights of the Subaru Telescope
except for the UH time, Gemini time exchange nights, time critical program, specific solar-system objects events and HSC narrow-band filter program nights. The
Subaru Observatory will decide whether their request is accepted or
not. Although the prompt decision is required for ToO observations,
careful considerations should be made about any effect on originally
scheduled observations. The Subaru Observatory will following
procedure to cope with ToO observations.
- SUBARU Time Allocation Committee (TAC) meeting
- TAC can set conditions to issue each accepted ToO observation. TAC
may suggest which ToO observation is (or isn't) allowed to be
conducted during specific observations of the normal program.
- Open use (in Mitaka: Takeda) or initial scheduler (Pyo) will
make a summary of the TAC discussion about ToO observations. The
summary will be distributed to the Subaru Director (Miyazaki),
Head of Science and Telescope Operations (Kambe), Vice Director (Hayano), and Science Operation Division Chief (Pyo).
- Time-critical observations of the normal program should be shown
for clarity with a mark in the internal schedule calendar.
- Notification to applicants of accepted ToO proposals
- Applicants of accepted ToO proposals will be informed of the
conditions and procedures to issue their ToO observation. In the
e-mail of notification, telephone numbers of the Director, Head of Science and Telescope Operations, Vice Director, and
Science Operation Division Chief will be shown.
- Observation request from accepted ToO applicants
- ToO observers should call the Director using the
telephone numbers in the e-mail of notification, when they request
to issue their ToO observation. If the Director isn't available,
they should call the person following the order shown in the figure.
- In case of the Director's absence, the Head of Science and Telescope Operations will be in charge of the decision.
- In case of the Director's and Head of Science and Telescope Operations' absence, the
Science Operation Division Chief and Vice Director will be in charge of the
decision.
- The Director (or his deputy) will call at the site of the
observation (mostly for Support Astronomer) to inquire the status
of the scheduled observation.
- The Director (or his deputy) will decide whether the
proposed ToO observation is accepted or not, considering its
urgency and the impact on the scheduled observation. For an
acceptance of the ToO observation, it should be required that at
least one member of Subaru Telescope staff (in Hawaii) is secured
as a Co-I at the site of the observation. If the TAC process has
to be referred to consider about the science merit, the Science
Operation Division Chief will give any necessary comments on it.
- Compensation for originally scheduled observations
- The Science Operation Division will set dates to compensate
observers for time lost due to ToO observations as soon as
possible.
Approved by the Subaru Advisory Committee on April 17th, 2008.
Revised on June 1st, 2010.
Revised on October 1st, 2011.
Revised on April 1st, 2012.
Revised on December 5th, 2013.
Revised on April 1st, 2014.
Revised on September 13th, 2016
Revised on April 1st, 2017
Revised on April 19th, 2018
Revised on February 1th, 2019
Revised on January 21st, 2020
Revised on April 5th, 2022
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