Spitzer Observation Planning Workshop

Overview:

Can't make it out West to the 2005 January AAS meeting in San Diego, CA, and the Observation Planning Workshop being held there?

This free one-day tutorial-style workshop is intended for observers who wish to learn more about planning and specifying their observations for the Spitzer Space Telescope. Spitzer has adopted a single-phase proposal submission process, in which science proposals must be accompanied by detailed observations generated by Spot (the Spitzer software for preparing observations and submitting proposals). This workshop will provide a primer on how to download and use Spot to plan observations and to prepare and submit a GO proposal. The workshop instructors will be scientists from the Spitzer Science Center.

Spitzer is a space-borne, cryogenically-cooled infrared observatory, carrying three primary science instruments with imaging/photometry capabilities from 3-180 microns, spectroscopy over 5-40 microns, and spectrophotometry from 50-100 microns. Spitzer launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 2003 August 25. Following an initial in-orbit checkout and science validation period, Spitzer began normal operations in early December 2003. The first General Observing Cycle is underway, and the second General Observer Call for Proposals will be issued soon, and the deadline for proposal submission is currently 12 February 2004.

The lecture component of the workshop will consist of an overview of the Spitzer spacecraft and instrumentation, and an introduction to planning tools available for observers, including Spot (the Spitzer software for preparing observations and submitting proposals). Specific examples of how to plan an observation, from selecting targets to specification of instrument commanding, will be provided. Finally, participants will be given time to apply what they have learned in a hands-on session, with instructors available for questions and assistance. We will have internet connections for laptops available for workshop participants to enable hands-on experience with the planning software tools. If you would like to take advantage of this, please bring your laptop (DHCP enabled) with you. A CAT5 cable would probably also be helpful.

Workshop content will be tailored to the needs of the registered participants.

Presentations:

• Overview
• IRAC
• IRS
• MIPS
• MIPS and IRAC Observation Planning Demo
• Resulting MIPS and IRAC AORs

For examples of other Spitzer Observation Planning workshops, see the SSC Workshops Page.

Venue:

Reaching Washington, DC, is easy from anywhere on the East Coast, or anywhere in the US or abroad, using either National or Dulles Airports, or via the railway, arriving at Union Station.

Accommodation:

A sampling of hotels convenient to the JPL Office site (within walking distance or a short taxi ride) are listed below. Participants must make their own accommodation reservations. This list is not an endorsement for any of these hotels. The prices listed are only intended to be representative of actual room rates and are not guaranteed rates for this workshop. Other accommodations throughout the Washington DC metro area (downtown DC, near the White House, convention center, Foggy Bottom/Georgetown, suburban areas) can be found online at a variety of websites. The Metro subway system in Washington, DC, is an excellent means of reaching the workshop venue from throughout the DC area. Taxis are also plentiful. Book your accommodations as soon as possible!

• Holiday Inn Capitol Hotel ($105)
• Holiday Inn On the Hill Hotel ($160)
• Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel ($135)
• Hotel George (boutique hotel, $269)
• Channel Inn (near the Potomac, $139-$150)
• Phoenix Park Hotel (near Union St.; boutique $269-$339)
• Hilton Crystal City (near National Airport; very near Metro stop; $89-129)

Registration: