Rules

Instruments available for ToO Observations

1. Only WiFES is available for ToO observations
2. ToO requests cannot be sent if WiFES is unavailable due to maintenance
3. ToO requests can be sent if the other Nasmyth focus is being used and if WiFES is available.

Too Requests

1. With the exception noted in point 14 below, requests can only come from approved ToO programs
2. There is no limit on the total number of requests from an individual program, only on the amount of time used during the quarter
3. For programs that are likely to submit more than 10 ToO requests per quarter, individual ToO requests must not last more than one hour. This includes overheads and time used to take night time calibrations. The time used need not be contiguous.
4. For programs that are likely to activate 10 requests or fewer per quarter, individual ToO requests must not last more than two hours. The time used need not be contiguous.
5. Only one request per night per program is allowed.
6. No more than 2 requests per night from all ToO programs are allowed.
7. If there are more than two requests, then the first two requests to arrive are executed.
8. Any request that is withdrawn is counted as being fully executed and the requested shutter time will be subtracted from the allocated time.
9. Any request that cannot be executed because of weather is counted as being fully executed and the requested shutter time will be subtracted from the allocated time.
10. Any request that cannot be executed because of technical issues is not counted.
11. The time used to execute a ToO starts when the scheduled program ends and ends when the schedule program restarts.
12. Approved ToO programs will be listed in the letter sent those who successfully get time
13. No more than 90 hours per quarter can be awarded to all ToO programs combined.
14. For truly exceptional events, the SSO Director may approve a ToO request that is not part of an official proposal.

Compensation nights

1. If more than two hours of paid time or four hours of open time per observing run are used to execute ToOs, then affected programs are given compensation during the next available night that has been set aside for compensation.
2. Compensation nights will be allocated at set dates distributed during the quarter to compensate programs that had to give time for ToO requests, if the minimum requirement in the previous point is met.
3. Compensation time can be used to compensate programs that were affected by any ToO request.

Responsibilities of the ToO principal investigator

1. ToO Proposers must include classical compensation nights in their time requests. At least fifty percent of the total time request should be for classical time. It will be the ToO proposers’ responsibility to run the telescope during these nights and to execute programs for those who were over-ridden.
2. The ToO principal investigator will report all time used for ToO observations to sso-tech@mso.anu.edu.au within a week of execution.
3. The ToO principal investigator is responsible for obtaining data during the compensation nights

A/Professor Chris Lidman

Director, Siding Spring Observatory, Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics

The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia

May 2019