• Directions : google maps
  • Passports for foreign nationals!
• Transportation
• Housing
• Food
  • No food on the mountain, need to bring everything. Space is allocated in cabinets and refrigerators for specific rooms. No alcohol.
  • There are two well equipped kitchens
  • It is our responsibility to clean up after ourselves! You can use dishwashers; they should be started when full and unloaded when clean (there's a magnetic placard used to indicate clean or not).
• Altitude awareness
  • drink water,
  • eat carbs in advance,
  • beware of even short-burst strenuous activity (stairs); if you are feeling marginally, take it easy!
  • eat regularly
  • planning for emergencies
• APO Staff
  • Observing specialists
• Schedule: when to arrive, planning for daytime activities
  • 3 half nights: Friday 10/20B - Saturday 10/21B - Sunday 10/22A
    
  • arrive Friday mid-day (earlier is better), depart Monday morning
    
  • Friday
    • Leave no later than 11-11:30 (with no stops!)
    • Telescope tour 2-4
      
    • Software tour 4-6
    • Dinner 6-8
    • Rest/nap: 8-12
  • Saturday afternoon? - Sunspot hike/tour

• Efficiency is important: telescope time is expensive. Want to be collecting photons as much of the time as possible. If you are sure that you are collecting "bad" photons, e.g., wrong target, stop. If you are unsure, collect photons while you are figuring out if you are doing the right thing
• If you have ANY questions or notice ANYTHING that you don't understand, ASK IMMEDIATELY. The observing specialists know a lot and are there to help. Don't waste time trying to figure it out on your own. If you are observing remotely, use the Message window (and always be alert for message beeps)
• Plan your observations, taking into account beginning and ending times (these should be strictly observed).
• Logs
  • Be prepared in advance to keep good observing logs: identify who will log. Be complete with information, not just about exposures, but about conditions, problems, lessons learned, etc. Comments are often the most valuable things!
  • Google sheets log template

• ARCES manual
• KOSMOS manual
• DIS manual
• ARCTIC manual
• NICFPS manual
• TRIPLESPEC manual

• ARCES: Adam Smith proposal
  • Description
  • Targets
  • TUI file
• ARCES: Annie Peck proposal
  • description
  • targets
  • TUI file
• ARCES: Nancy Chanover / Anna Conly proposal
  • description
  • JPL horizons
• KOSMOS: Dmitry Bizyaev proposal
  • description
  • TUI file
• KOSMOS/DIS: Kelly Sanderson proposal
  • description
  • TUI file with coordinates
• ARCTIC: Anna white dwarf paper
  description
  • TUI file
• ARCTIC: SDSS photometry
  description
  • TUI file
• Observing with eyepiece!
  • TUI file

• ARCES:
• ARCTIC:
• KOSMOS:

  Date (eve/morn)      JDmid    LMSTmidn   ---------- Sun: ---------   LST twilight:  ------------- Moon: --------------
  (2023 at start)    (-2460000)            set  twi.end twi.beg rise    eve    morn    rise   set  %illum   RA      Dec
Fri Oct 20/Sat Oct 21   238.8    0 54 27   18 25  19 47   5 49  7 12   20 41   6 45   .....  22 55    39  19 08.6 -28 09
Sat Oct 21/Sun Oct 22   239.8    0 58 24   18 23  19 46   5 50  7 13   20 44   6 50   .....   0 03    50  20 09.9 -25 53
Sun Oct 22/Mon Oct 23   240.8    1 02 20   18 22  19 45   5 51  7 13   20 46   6 54   .....   1 14    62  21 09.4 -22 02

• TUI ( Downloads)
• obs3 machine, user nmsuobserver
  • externally, need to go through arc-gateway.apo.nmsu.edu
• data in /export images

• ARCES
  • Configuration: cal channel and cal lamps only
  • Calibrations: internal: flat fields and ThAr wavelength calibration, biases
• KOSMOS
  • Configuration:
  • Calibrations:
  • ARCTIC
    • Configuration: filter, CCD parameters (binning)
    • Calibrations: flat fields (dome + twilight), biases
• Observing scripts
  • sample ARCES calibration script
  • Simple single ThAr exposure script
• Instruments and instrument setup: