Community Workshop on Access to the CHARA Array

The Georgia State University Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array at Mount Wilson Observatory is now open to investigators interested in exploring the universe at milliarcsecond resolution in the optical and near-infrared. A long-baseline interferometer, the CHARA Array offers the longest operating baselines in the world and enables diverse investigations, such as the measurement of stellar angular diameters and shapes, and studies of orbiting companions and circumstellar environments. Community access to CHARA is funded by a National Science Foundation Mid-Scale Innovations Program (NSF MSIP) award.

Open access to the Array will be phased in beginning in the 2017B observing semester, and some 50 to 75 nights per year will be available to the community. Proposals will be selected through the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) time allocation process. Many potential investigators may be new to interferometry, so CHARA scientists are planning to host a series of community workshops at locations around the US. The first workshop will be held at the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California, on 15 March 2017. Information and registration is available on the CHARA website.