User support
Instructions & deadlines for the phase 2: preparing observations
The Observing blocks to execute VST observations need to be prepared with the ESO P2 tool. The tutorial for the OmegaCam@VST is available here.
The OmegaCam User and Template manual is available here.
Login into ESO P2 using your ESO USER PORTAL ACCOUNT
You should found the VST proposal as delegated, according to the ESO ID for your run provided here
For all runs that require a cadence, please include the time intervals in the relevant tab into the P2
OBs' submission is required also for the runs accepted in VM
For VM observations: Please check the schedule here
ALL OBs must be submitted by the deadline provided below. Any delay might affect the execution of your run.
Deadline for the OB submission
January 31st, 2025: For targets visible between February 1st and May 31st 2025
May 31st, 2025: For targets visible between June 1st and September 30th, 2025:
Instruction for ToO Alert
Before 8 PM (CET)
Upon receiving an alert, PIs must email vst@inaf.it and promptly prepare the OB for observation. The program will be given the highest priority.
After 8 PM (CET)
Upon receiving an alert promptly prepare the OB for observation. A telephone number to contact will be provided to PIs.
Ongoing and Past Observations:
In the following pages, users can track the status of ongoing and past runs. The estimates are done on monthly basis, and are update every ~15 days.
Data reduction calendar
VSTcen offers users periodic data reduction learning sessions at the INAF Observatory of Capodimonte. During these 3-day sessions, participants can familiarize with all the data reduction steps using Astro-WISE.
VST users interested in these learning sessions can check the available dates for upcoming sessions following this link and book a slot by contacting VST@inaf.it.
Please note that an Astro-WISE account is required. If you plan to attend a data reduction learning session but do not have an account, please contact us at VST@inaf.it at least 2 weeks in advance. Additionally, you are required to provide a short acronym for the project, along with a brief description and the program ID.