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<span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">As a host institution for the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global network of telescopes, ANU is entitled to a share of the network's observing time, which it is now making
available to all Australian astronomers.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><u>Applying for LCO time</u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><b>The closing date for observing proposals for the 2026A semester (from 1 February 2026 to
31 July 2026) will be 12noon AEDT, Thursday, 27 November 2025.</b> </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">There is no limitation on the fraction of time allocated to proposals led by Australians outside
of ANU. However, under the ongoing ANU host agreement with LCO, at least half of the overall Australian time will consist of contributions to LCO Key Projects (see
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/EBteCK1DvKTM0PNpxhMf6C5NTLI?domain=lco.global/" title="https://lco.global/science/keyprojects/" data-outlook-id="473f7c41-8ec3-47ff-8a73-a52f0a384e36" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://lco.global/science/keyprojects/</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"> ).
Thus, proposals to support the new LCO Key Projects are strongly encouraged, but will be assessed on scientific merit like any other proposal.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">ANU's available time for 2026A (after long-term proposals have been allocated) will be
<b>37 hours on the 2m telescopes, 150 hours on the 1m telescopes, and 160 hours on the 0.4m telescopes</b>. Note that this access can utilise any of the two 2m telescopes, thirteen 1m telescopes, or ten 0.4m telescopes in the entire LCO global network.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">For the 2026A semester, no major changes to the facility hardware are anticipated. Please find
further details, exposure time calculators, and target visibility calculators in the official LCO CfP at
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 120, 212);"><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/RMwwCL7EwMfw5Vr8McqhnCy6DSi?domain=lco.global/" title="https://lco.global/news/callforproposals2026a/" data-outlook-id="9ef98d57-af8f-4bfe-be22-e6414e4c31a1" style="color: rgb(0, 120, 212); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://lco.global/news/callforproposals2026a/</a></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><b>Proposals may ask to be considered for long-term status</b>, with allocations extending up
to 3 consecutive semesters. If requesting this, be sure to list the required number of observing hours in each mode with each instrument on the cover sheet. The ANU TAC will make the final determination about long-term status.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Proposed observations can use any of the three observing modes: standard queue-scheduled, Time
Critical, and Rapid Response. All proposals that request Time Critical or Rapid Response time will be technically reviewed by LCO.
<b>The proposals must explicitly justify the need for TC/RR time.</b> LCO will work with the PIs to make any changes to the queue/TC/RR allocations if it is determined that the science can be done with less restrictive scheduling modes. Proposals lacking justification
will automatically get standard queue-mode observations. For details on the special scheduling modes, see
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/UpdHCMwGxOtkGD1mVcJiBC88R_U?domain=lco.global/" title="https://lco.global/documentation/special-scheduling-modes/" data-outlook-id="7bed448f-3c18-43d6-85ed-b5d478ad8695" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://lco.global/documentation/special-scheduling-modes/</a></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Proposals will be assessed on scientific merit by the ANU TAC, taking into account that the
Australian PI must be a significant team member. Note that this is not a call for Key Projects and
<u>any proposal that appears to compete with a Key Project would need to justify how it is different and why it does not conflict with the Key Project goals</u>. Information on the current set of Key Projects can be found at
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><u><a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/EBteCK1DvKTM0PNpxhMf6C5NTLI?domain=lco.global/" title="https://lco.global/science/keyprojects/" data-outlook-id="2a64285d-15ff-4199-84b7-6fd8d16cc53e" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">https://lco.global/science/keyprojects/</a></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"><b>A maximum 3-page scientific and technical justification should be sent to
</b></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><b><u><a href="mailto:lco_proposals@mso.anu.edu.au" title="mailto:lco_proposals@mso.anu.edu.au" data-outlook-id="0f1447de-42e6-4fbc-97c5-f2ac8991b39d" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">lco_proposals@mso.anu.edu.au</a></u></b></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">In addition, list on a separate page:</span></p>
<ul style="text-align: left; margin-top: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
Proposers and institutions.</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
E-mail address of the PI (<b>an LCO-registered e-mail, if available</b>).</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
Whether the data is an important part of a PhD thesis.</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
Requested telescope(s) and instrument(s).</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
Requested number of (integer) hours <u>in each observing mode</u> (queue/TC/RR) <u>
for each instrument</u>, and minimum useful allocation.</li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
<b>Whether you want this to be considered for long-term status, and if so, for how many semesters (up to 3) and for how many hours in each observing mode with each instrument in each semester.</b></li><li style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33); margin: 0cm;">
An estimate of how much time is required beyond this semester.</li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; margin: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);">Please contact
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(150, 96, 125);"><u><a href="mailto:christopher.onken@anu.edu.au" title="mailto:christopher.onken@anu.edu.au" data-outlook-id="c86379d2-a6d2-47fc-8eaf-4ac30a9255f9" style="color: rgb(150, 96, 125); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Christopher
Onken</a></u></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(33, 33, 33);"> if you have any questions about LCO, or ANU's access to the network.</span></p>
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