Targets are added to the program information, given an estimated observing time, assigned wavefront sensor (e.g. guide) stars and, if necessary, associated with observing condition constraints in the form of observations.
If all the targets have been entered on the Common/Targets tab, the easiest way to create the observations is to click on the add obs button. This opens a selection window in which the previously entered targets may be selected. By default, any targets that have not yet been used will be checked as "included?". Clicking on the create observations button will add those observations to the program information as a tree structure (see an example view). Each observation has its own 'branch' in the tree (selected by clicking in the left-hand panel on the observation).
For each observation, you must estimate the total integration time. You must add the overheads defined on the "Performance and Use" page for each instrument to calculate the integration time. A specific observing condition constraint set may be chosen for any observation by clicking on the override default constraints button (see an example view). Likewise, specific resources (e.g. instrument configuration) may be chosen for any observation by clicking on the override default resources button.
Within each observation, the same or a different target can be chosen from the target list (e.g. select the "Targets" container in an observation) or a totally new target may be defined. Similarly, the target details (coordinates etc) may be altered (select the name of the science target in the left-hand panel; see an example view). With the science target selected you should also give an estimate of the target brightness (e.g. "K=22.5 mag" or "line flux = 1.5e-20 W/m^2/um").
Peripheral wavefront sensor (PWFS) stars for fast guiding and active optics control of the primary mirror figure, on-instrument wavefront sensor (OIWFS) stars for wavefront sensors embedded within instruments --- these may be for fast guiding (e.g. GMOS), flexure control (e.g. NIFS), or adaptive optics (e.g. NICI) --- and facility adaptive optics wavefront sensor (AOWFS) reference stars for controlling the facility AO deformable mirror (e.g. Altair) may be chosen for any or all observations in the list by clicking on the add WFS... button near the top of the page. This activates the Catalog Assistant which will automatically interrogate a guide star catalog server of your choice using the target coordinates, knowledge of the various wavefront sensor fields of view and brightness criteria. The stellar brightness is entered automatically into the page.
If the target is to be used as the guide star for AO observations then the science target information can be easily copied to a WFS entry using the either the Target is NICI AO Guide Star algorithm (for NICI) or the Target is AOWFS Guide Star algorithm (for Altair) in the Catalog Assistant.
WFS stars need not be added for non-sidereal objects, target of opportunity, or Keck or Subaru observations at this time.
WFS stars may be added manually to observations (from the "targets" view) using the create (new WFS star) button and by entering the star coordinates and brightness directly. You should use this method if the WFS star is not avialable from the Catalog Assistant. Stars for the Peripheral Wavefront Sensors should be created with type "Peripheral WFS"; WFS stars for the on-instrument sensors should be created with type "On-Instrument WFS", and WFS star for the facility AO systems should be created with type "Facility AO WFS".
Observations may be cut, copied and pasted using the usual buttons.