10 Jun 2011

The full details and documentation of the Herschel OT2 AO can be retrieved from the dedicated pages at the Herschel Science Centre website:

http://herschel.esac.esa.int/AO_Introduction.shtml

The Herschel Space Observatory, launched on 14 May 2009, is the fourth cornerstone of ESA's Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries a 3.5 metre telescope and three science instruments: the Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer (PACS) and the Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver (SPIRE), both performing imaging photometry and spectroscopy, and the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI), which is providing a very high spectral resolution capability.

This Announcement of Opportunity (AO) is the second (and final) in-flight call for observing proposals. The AO is divided into two parts. The first part was for the Guaranteed Time (GT2) programmes, and has already been conducted, while the second part refers to Open Time (OT2) programmes. Proposers from the worldwide astronomical community are welcome to respond to this call for Open Time proposals. All proposals will be subject to independent review by the Herschel Observing Time Allocation Committee (HOTAC).

Information about the already-approved observing programmes (GT and OT Key programmes, GT1 and OT1, and GT2) is available on the Herschel Science Centre (HSC) website. Potential proposers are required to prepare and submit observing time proposals, in electronic form, by the deadline given below, according to the rules and using the Herschel observing planning tool HSpot, as described in the AO documentation package.

To allow Open Time proposers as much time for preparation as possible, two observation planning/HSpot workshops will be held in parallel from 20 to 21 June 2011, with one organised by the HSC at ESAC in Madrid, and one by the NHSC in Pasadena, USA.

The key milestones for the Herschel OT2 AO are: