We continue to work on improving Gemini's web pages. We have revised the pages in the Observing with Gemini section, and added pages in this section for the 2009A Call for Proposals and the new Phase I Tool release. Note that you may need to delete your computer's cache to access the new pages.

The Phase I Tool (PIT) for semester 2009A observing proposals has been released. This should also be used for poor weather and director's time proposals during the remainder of semester 2008B.

Gemini is happy to announce that it is accepting proposals for observing time in semester 2009A. The proposal deadline is September 30, 2008. A new version of the Phase I Tool (PIT) has been released to support proposal submissions.

Gemini Observatory tracks completion rates for queue programs, open shutter efficiency, acquisition times and weather losses for both telescopes. In addition, the Observatory has investigated how observing conditions and program length may affect the probability of a program getting data. The results of these investigations may be particularly useful for PIs with programs in band 3. Information on RA distributions as well as the demand for the various GMOS gratings in semesters 2006B-2007B is also available. The following summarizes

The allocations for successful Gemini 2008B observing programs have now been announced. Please check the 2008B schedules page for more information.

The 2008B Observing Tool to support remaining 2008A observations and the start of semester 2008B is now available.

Starting on Tuesday, June 10 the Gemini Observatory observing databases will be upgraded in preparation for semester 2008B and so will not be accessible by the Observing Tool (OT) or the web report forms. The Gemini North update will be on Tuesday, June 10 and the Gemini South update will be on Thursday, June 12. After the updates ToO triggers will only be possible via the URL mechanism until the new OT is released. The 2008B OT will be available on Friday, June 13 and this will be needed for subsequent fetch/store operations. Please check this site for further announcements.

Gemini North welcomes poor weather proposals . Note that reliable guiding with the peripheral wave-front sensor (P2) at the optimum frequency requires a star brighter than R~13.5 in clear, dark skies, so in cloudy conditions we can observe only programs with R<11.5 guide-stars. For the GMOS OIWFS the same limit applies. For GMOS-N, only imaging or R400 and B600 spectroscopic programs will be considered.

Instrument Web Pages Reorganized

Please submit DD proposals using the PIT