(Updated June 4)

Several special opportunities are available for SOAR in 2019B - interested parties should visit the SOAR links listed below for details beyond the summary here:

TripleSpec 4.1 availability (including science verification)

The TripleSpec instrument (ex-ARCOIRIS, re-baptized TripleSpec 4.1) is being commissioned in March, with possible science verification in April and June. People interested in proposing can do so using performance information from the Blanco telescope [1]. Any time granted in 2019B will be shared-risk, of course. See the SOAR TSpec web page [2] for updates and further details. Questions should be directed to the TSpec instrument scientist, Sean Points [3].

We are also conducting science verification during April and June engineering time. Please see the SV proposal page [4] for details.

Queue scheduling opportunity

SOAR is actively engaged in the Astronomical Event Observatory Network (AEON) project [5]. As part of this effort, we hope to schedule a modest fraction of SOAR nights in queue mode in 2019B. Programs that would be included in this program must meet the following conditions:
- Programs must be feasible in SOAR's current remote/classical mode
- Proposers require observations at a cadence of 2-4 weeks (or less frequently), set by the scheduled queue nights
- Proposers can use the Goodman spectrograph [6] with the red camera and 400 l/mm grating and/or imaging mode
- Proposers have prior experience with the telescope and instrument
If you think your proposal may be suitable for participation, please contact the SOAR AEON Project Scientist, Cesar Briceño [3]. All proposals are subject to approval through the standard time allocation process.
We will only provide this mode if we are confident it is working reliably; this is why proposals must be feasible without queue scheduling.

SOAR may also participate in a second AEON-related activity starting 2020A, the TOM Toolkit Workshop and Observing Program [7]. We will make a final on the extent of our participation no later than June. Participation in the workshop is open to astronomers from across the SOAR consortium.

- Jay Elias