Observing with ATNF Telescopes

Astronomers from Australia and overseas are invited to apply for observing time on Australia Telescope National Facility telescopes. Observing time is awarded by a Time Assignment Committee on the basis of the merits of the proposed research. Please note that the ATNF does not employ telescope operators and observers are required to be present for their observations.

OPAL: All telescope applications to the ATNF MUST be prepared and submitted using OPAL . OPAL is a web-based application system for all ATNF telescope facilities.

ATOA: The Australia Telescope Online Archive (ATOA) provides access to the Australia Telescope Compact Array and Mopra archive data files.

Observers are requested to acknowledge the ATNF in any publications resulting from use of the ATNF facilities, or data archives. See Publications and Acknowledgments

Important information for 2009 APRS

For Parkes, Mopra, VLBI and Tidbinbilla the 2009 APRS semester will run for a six-month period from 01 April 2009 until 30 September 2009.

For the ATCA only, the 2009 APRS semester will run for a three-month period from 15 April 2009 until 14 July 2009.

For further information see the current status of the ATNF telescopes.

Telescope applications may be submitted for the following facilities:

• Australia Telescope Compact Array
• Parkes Telescope
• Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA)
• Tidbinbilla 70-m and 34-m antennas
• Mopra radio telescope