Michael Werner (JPL)

You and the Big Eye: Research Opportunities at the 200-inch Telescope at Palomar Observatory // JPL purchases 25% of the observing time [about 90 nights per year] on the Palomar 200-inch telescope and makes it available to the JPL and IPAC scientists through a semi-annual proposal process. We have access to all Palomar public instruments [and to the semi-private ones through request to the PI] and have our own time allocation process. Proposals range from instrument engineering and mission support through to fundamental research. A number of recent and pending instrument upgrades have kept Palomar at the forefront of observational research, and its proximity and availability should be a bonanza for IPAC scientists. This talk will review the proposal process and describe the newly available instruments. Proposals for the coming semester will be due April 16.