Towards A Scheduler For The LCOGT Multi-telescope Network
Abstract
Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) is building a world-wide network of telescopes optimized for time-domain astronomy. A key part of this effort is the scheduler, which converts allocations of telescope time, judgments about scientific importance, and a multitude of practical considerations into commands for the pointing and instrument configuration of each network telescope. Among telescope schedulers, this one will be unusual in two respects: it must deal with multiple telescopes, and the mix of desired observations will be dominated by lengthy observations of time-critical (but often predictable) events. Here we describe the program BLOCKHEAD, intended as a step toward the final scheduler. BLOCKHEAD uses a randomized multi-pass procedure to distribute 30-minute blocks of observing time among many observing projects and across multiple telescopes, for a 1-month planning interval. For automated scheduling of a full network, BLOCKHEAD is intended to be preceded by a monthly time-allocation process, and followed by a module that adapts the nominal schedule to cope with weather, targets of opportunity, and other real-time schedule-driving events. It does not attempt global optimization of the schedule, but it is fast enough that many independent schedules may easily be intercompared for optimization against any desired figure of merit. BLOCKHEAD is now being tested using simulated observing requests on telescope networks, and also as an element in scheduling our existing telescopes on Haleakala and at Siding Spring.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AAS...211.4726B