Through Director’s Discretionary Time, observing time at LBTO can be made available, by request to the LBTO Director, outside of the normal semester-based proposal process.
As with other ground-based and space observatories, DDT can be allocated for:
- followup of newly-discovered unexpected transient phenomena or class of objects, or
- when an observation is critical to a work in progress or to the preparation of follow-up proposals, but was unfortunately not known at the time of the last proposal cycle.
Requests for DDT must provide the following information:
- A justification of the proposed observations and of the use of DD time.
- A description of the observations (for technical evaluation).
- A description of the possible impact of the requested observations on what is already known on the subject.
Requests must be submitted through our online form for approval.
Criteria used for the allocation will include criticality, potential impact, fast data usage, feasibility, and potential conflict with ongoing LBT programs.
DDT time allocated to a given request is generally short (rarely more than a couple of hours) and observations will be carried in service observing mode by LBTO staff.
