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Guidelines for Open Use Observers

This webpage explains you about the procedure of preparation for Subaru open use observations. Please check it frequently and prepare for your observation. We hope your observation will make a great accomplishment.

Contact Information Contact Information

  • From Institutions within Japan: To apply/update your visit and travel expense, or to apply Mitaka remote observations, please contact,
    Subaru Telescope Open Use Section, NAOJ at Mitaka, Japan: observers-infodesk_at_naoj.org

  • From Institutions outside of Japan: to apply your visit or to update your applications, please contact,
    Operation Center, Subaru Telescope at Hilo, Hawaii, U.S.A.: openuse_at_naoj.org

After receiving an acceptance of your proposal After receiving an acceptance of your proposal

  • Please read the acceptance/schedule informing emails carefully.
  • Please peruse Open Use Policy
  • [Travel Support] We can provide domestic travel support for Mitaka remote observation (up to 3 domestic observers).

By 4 weeks before the observation By 4 weeks before the observation

Observers are required to establish and document proper observation procedures by contacting with the Support Astronomer (SA) beforehand. Please plan with your SA regarding your research details by one month before your observation.

By 3 weeks before the observation By 3 weeks before the observation

  • Please decide the participants of the observation and let us know via Google Forms
  • In general, the PI should attend and conduct the observation. If the PI cannot attend for some reason, deputy PI who is responsible for the observation should be nominated among the CoIs.
  • Observers should be listed in the proposal as a PI/CoI. If you are planning to let an unregistered person to attend the observation as a new CoI, the PI must submit "CoI_add_Application" and be approved.
  • In general, open use observations are performed remotely.
  • You can perform your observations at your home or institute via GERS (Gen2 extended remote system) or Zoom. Please refer to GERS information and our zoom policy.
  • If you are in Japan or are domestic observers, please consider using Mitaka remote observation basically. Domestic travel support will be available up to 3 persons. If you have your own budget for your travel, it would be greatly appreciated.
  • Hilo remote observations for overseas observers (outside Japan) are possible, but please contact openuse@naoj.org in advance.
  • After getting approval, you need to submit Hiro remote request at: /Observing/HiloRemote/
  • If the situation of COVID-19 deteriorates again, access to the Hilo base facility may be restricted and the remote observation at Hilo may not be possible.
  • We are now planning the transition to full remote (no persons at the summit) observation mode and the summit observations will be limited. We ask you for your understanding.
  • If the observers are all students, we may ask their supervisor(s) to certificate that the observation can be made without problem.
  • Please instruct all the observers to read this web site.
  • Please fill in the Mitaka Remote visitor Form for Mitaka remote observation.
    If the application form is not submitted at least three weeks before the observation date and the Cosmos Lodge is fully booked, alternative hotel costs will be borne by the applicant.

By 2 weeks before the observation By 2 weeks before the observation

  • Please prepare for GERS observation.

Travel Expense Support Travel Expense Support

Mitaka Remote observation : Only observers residing within Japan

  • Domestic travel support will be available for up to 3 persons per one observation run. We are facing tight budget constraints for our travel expenses, so it would be greatly appreciated if you could use your own budget to cover them.
  • We will support for your stay on the night of the observation, not for the previous night. If your observation is on the 1st night and you can return home, we cannot provide you accommodation fee.
  • In general, Mitaka observers lodge in Cosmos kaikan in the Mitaka campus. For observers traveling from distant locations who require an overnight stay, please fill in the schedule on the Mitaka Remote Visit Application Form and submit it as early as possible.

If the application form is not submitted at least two weeks before the observation date and the Cosmos Lodge is fully booked, alternative hotel costs will be borne by the applicant.

Hilo Remote observation : Only observers residing overseas

  • You need to apply to openuse_at_naoj.org and obtain permission in advance. After getting approval, you need to submit Hiro remote request at "/Observing/HiloRemote/"
  • We are now planning the transition to full remote (no persons at the summit) observation mode and the summit observations will be limited. Even if you can participate in Hilo, you will need to prepare your own travel expenses. We ask you for your understanding.

Online information regarding weather condition Online information regarding weather condition

After the observation After the observation

Open Use Report

In order to improve the quality of support to the researchers and maximize the scientific achievements, Subaru Telescope requests all Open Use PIs or proxy PIs to submit Open Use observation report.

Getting your Observation Data

The copy of your observation data will be available through Subaru Telescope Archive System (STARS).

Publishing the observation results

When you publish your observing results, you should include the following acknowledgment on the title page as a footnote to the title:

This research is based [in part] on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. We are honored and grateful for the opportunity of observing the Universe from Maunakea, which has the cultural, historical, and natural significance in Hawaii.

When such a Subaru-related paper has been published, we would appreciate it if you could inform us of its information (preferably with ADS Bibliographic Code Query) by mailing to observers-infodesk_at_naoj.org

updated on May 25, 2023