SMARTS 1.3m Telescope

SMARTS 1.3m 2008B Information

We are ready to start processing all of the service observing requests for the 2008B semester. The project codes for 2008B are now available on the Yale ANDICAM website. Log in to the Phase II pages where you can design appropriate scripts and submit your program.

Please note that the 1.3m projects are listed in priority order on the official 2008B schedule located on the main SMARTS page. Those projects near the end of the list are subject to interruptions should higher-ranked ToOs require time.

Standard procedures for handling 1.3m data include the following:

1) Bias frames are taken every night.

2) Flats

BVRI dome flats are observed every night, 10 exposures of each.

JHK dome flats are observed every third night in rotation. 10 exposures are taken at each of the 7 dither positions (dither throw = 40). 10 additional exposures at each dither position are then taken with the dome lamps off. The final flat at each dither position is the difference between the combined lamp-on flat minus the combined lamp-off flat.

PLEASE NOTE: The U filter is currently broken and unusable.

3) Optical data are processed using standard IRAF procedures (see here for further details), and are usually available by 11:00am (EST) the following day. You will be contacted by Suzanne Tourtellotte with instructions on how to collect your data.

4) IR data are not processed, but the raw frames and combined dome flats can be collected in the same manner as the optical data. Note that the data are binned 2x2 (resulting in 0.34" pixels).

5) The PI of each project will receive automated email notifications each night that data is obtained for the project. A second person can receive these notifications as well (contact the Queue Manager if this is desired).

6) Each photometric night, a Landolt standard field is observed once in all optical filters, and two IR standards (one blue and one red) are observed once in all IR filters, each at their best airmass. Once a month, more thorough observations of the same standards are performed, observing each star at three different airmasses. These standards are available to all users. We do our best to choose those Landolt fields with at least 3 standard stars available in the field of view. If your program requires additional standard observations, they must be included as part of your program, and are charged against your allocation.

Additional information regarding the SMARTS 1.3m telescope can be found here. If you have further questions or special requests, please contact Michelle Buxton, the Queue Manager. We hope all of your programs go well!