Semester 2022A Instrument Restrictions and Target Accessibility

This page provides best estimates, at the time of the Call for Proposals, of instrument restrictions and target (RA, DEC) accessibility for 2022A.

All instruments are restricted for sky visibility as described in the Table below. In addition:

• Observations using the Gemini North laser guide star (LGS) system are restricted to greater than 40 degrees elevation. How this translates into RA and DEC restrictions is indicated in the Table.
• GNIRS is expected to be unavailable during March 2022, for installation of new integral field units. This means a reduction in available time for targets at RA 7 to 10 hours of 30 - 50%. Investigators using GNIRS are therefore encouraged to be as flexible as possible with their targets. 
• Alopeke, GRACES:, MAROON-X, and POLISH-2 will be available, subject to demand, in the 2022A semester.  Scheduling of these instruments will be driven by the demand.
• The bottom port of the Gemini North telescope would be shared between NIFS, NIRI, MAROON-X, and POLISH-2. This pressure means instruments may not be scheduled during the semester, or may be scheduled for very limited periods of time. Investigators with time-critical observations using NIFS, NIRI, MAROON-X, or POLISH-2 should specify both ideal dates and frequency for their observations, as well as less-preferred dates or sampling frequency.

^**Due to limited sky availability during the semester, GMOS MOS programs requiring pre-imaging should not have targets in this region, and other programs with targets in this region should not require a large amount of time, or have strict timing or observing constraints.

All instruments are restricted for sky visibility as described in the Table below. In addition:

• Observations using GeMS are restricted to greater than 45 degrees elevation. How this translates into RA and DEC restrictions is indicated in the Table. The expectation is to have two or three laser runs of 7 nights, therefore up to about 150 hours will be scheduled at ITAC (Queue only, Bands 1 & 2 with IQ70&IQ85).
• Due to greater-than-average, repeatable, weather loss in May, June and July at Gemini South, the availability of time in the RA 16h - 20h range has been reduced by 10%, RA 20h - 22h by 18%, and RA 23h - 2h by 25%.
• Zorro and IGRINS will be available, subject to demand, in 2022A semester.  Scheduling of these instruments will be driven by the demand.

^**Due to limited sky availability during the semester, GMOS MOS programs requiring pre-imaging should not have targets in this region, and other programs with targets in this region should not require a large amount of time, or have strict timing or observing constraints.