NSF’s OIR Lab Call for Proposals for Semester 2020B

Mia Hartman, NOAO

NSF’s OIR Lab announces the availability of observing time for the 2020B semester, 1 August 2020 – 31 January 2021. The facilities available this semester include the Gemini North and South, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (including SOAR and SMARTS), and Kitt Peak National Observatory (including WIYN).  Time continues to be available on the automated global telescope network of Las Cumbres Observatory (LCOGT), as well as the CHARA interferometer.  Nights are also available on the Subaru and AAT telescopes through time-exchange agreements.  

Details of instrumentation, observing modes, schedules, and proposal submission instructions are available at:  

http://ast.noao.edu/observing/proposal-info

Of particular note is the NN-EXPLORE program, which offers time on the WIYN 3.5m and the CTIO/SMARTS 1.5m telescope with the CHIRON precision radial-velocity spectrometer, as well as a new opportunity: 300 hours on the MINERVA-Australis exoplanet observatory, operated by the University of Southern Queensland (USQ), in Queensland, Australia.  The new precision radial-velocity spectrograph, NEID, is available on the WIYN 3.5m in 2020B in shared-risk mode.  Details about NN-EXPLORE in 2020B can be found at:

http://ast.noao.edu/observing/wiyn-exoplanets-2020b

Proposals are due no later than 11:59pm (MT) on Tuesday, 31 March 2020.