Calibration-TOM: managing calibration observations for a global network of telescopes

N. Volgenau; D. Harbeck; W. Lindstrom Jr.; D. Collom; R. Street; M. Johnson

doi:10.1117/12.2628704

25 August 2022 Calibration-TOM: managing calibration observations for a global network of telescopes

N. Volgenau, D. Harbeck, W. Lindstrom Jr., D. Collom, R. Street, M. Johnson

Proceedings Volume 12186, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems IX; 121860W (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2628704
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2022, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Abstract

Las Cumbres Observatory comprises 25 robotic telescopes hosting 6 instrument types at 7 sites. To manage the calibrations for such a large suite of instruments, LCO has developed a Target and Observation Manager (TOM) built on elements of the TOM Toolkit. In the Calibration-TOM, the fundamental assets to be managed are not astronomical targets (as with a TOM built for a science campaign) but the telescopes and instruments of the observatory. The Calibration-TOM is a web application that uses python code within a Django framework. Requests for recurring, nighttime calibrations are described by dynamic cadences, which are inserted into each instrument’s schedule with specified durations. In 2021, we began using the Calibration-TOM for observations of flux and RV standards for the NRES spectrographs, as well as for observations of photometric standards for all imagers. The Calibration-TOM makes the scheduling and outcomes of calibrations more transparent to operations personnel, expediting the identification of underperforming instruments. Other observatories supporting multiple instruments may benefit from creating similar TOM software.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

N. Volgenau, D. Harbeck, W. Lindstrom Jr., D. Collom, R. Street, and M. Johnson "Calibration-TOM: managing calibration observations for a global network of telescopes", Proc. SPIE 12186, Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems IX, 121860W (25 August 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2628704

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