W.M. Keck Observatory Observing at WMKO

Each user community, UC, Caltech, NASA, UH, NOAO, Gemini, and Subaru has its own internal requirements regarding deadlines for submittal of proposals and information required to apply for time on the Keck telescopes. However, regardless of the institution to which the user applies, he/she should complete the WMKO Proposal Cover Sheet Form and submit it, along with the individual institution request forms, to the appropriate TAC. This form is used, once a given proposal has been allotted time by its TAC, to concatenate the approved time assignments into the master schedule. Observers will be notified by the appropriate TAC of the fate of their proposal and by WMKO for telescope time assignments if the proposal was accepted. Telescope schedules will be posted on the W.M. Keck Observatory web pages approximately two months before the beginning of the semester.

Beginning with 2008A, Keck password-protected user accounts are available and required for filling out the coversheet form. Please go to the Keck Observer Login Page to login to your home page or to create an account if you do not yet have one. If you have forgotten your login name and password, help will be available at the login page. From your homepage you will be able to view your upcoming telescope runs, view your previous semesters' coversheets, create or modify coversheets for the upcoming semester, view and modify your contact information and profile.

• UC
• CIT Qualified Caltech applicants for Caltech time on the W. M. Keck Observatory may also contact the COO/Palomar Office in Pasadena for further information.
• NASA Note: NASA will have separate calls for each semester, 2009A and 2009B.
• NOAO  NOAO will award Keck time through the Telescope System Instrumentation Program (TSIP) during semester 2009A.
• UH This link will give access to a tar file containing the proposal application forms. Proposals submitted to the University of Hawaii must have a principal investigator affiliated with the University of Hawaii.
• Gemini and Keck will exchange up to five nights of Gemini North MICHELLE and NIRI and Gemini South T-ReCS time for HIRES time on Keck-I. Please see the Gemini pages for details of applying for HIRES time through Gemini.
• Subaru and Keck will exchange up to six nights of Subaru Suprime-Cam or MOIRCS time for DEIMOS, ESI, NIRSPEC, NIRC2 and OSIRIS time on Keck-II (maximum of four Keck II nights, maximum of two laser guide star nights) or LRIS time on Keck-I (maximum of two Keck I nights). Please see the Subaru pages for details of applying for Keck time through Subaru.
• Service Observing   At this point we do not anticipate having any service observing time available in the near future. When we are once again able to offer this service, we will notify our user community.
• Choosing the instrument you should use.
• Choosing your observing location.
• Split Observing Night Considerations   Guidelines on how observers can help make the Support Astronomers more efficient on observing nights split between two observing groups.
• Proposal Cover Sheet Form
  The proposal coversheet form for 2009A is now available through the Keck Observer Login Page.    ALL observers applying for Keck observing time should fill out this form. Submit the form with your proposal to your institution if required.
• Timetable for Applications and Scheduling for the current semester and beyond

This page last updated 8-Aug-08. bas