Important Disclaimer
Currently, only spectroscopic observations are shown on this website. This does not include our specialized triggers on external resources (such as Gemini observations).
Submitting a Target
Target Submission Process
All target submissions go through our centralized VTDA Target Request Form. This form dramatically simplifies coordination of targets across MMT and Magellan. You can view the active queue for any given instrument for the current/upcoming run by clicking the relevant button above.
FAST: Limiting magnitude typically ~18.5, declination range roughly -10° to +70°
MMT Binospec: Limiting magnitude typically ~22, declination range roughly -10° to +70°
Magellan LDSS3: Limiting magnitude typically ~23, declination range roughly 0° to -70°
Observing / Reducing Data
Rotation Responsibilities
We rotate responsibilities for observing and data reduction depending on the instrument. Each team member takes turns serving as the lead observer and lead data reducer for different observing runs.
FAST Observing & Reduction
For FAST observations and data reduction:
- Rotation Schedule: 2025B FAST Rotation List
- Complete Guide: 2025B FAST Observing & Reduction Guide (includes rotation schedule and detailed reduction procedures)
Magellan LDSS3 Reduction
For Magellan LDSS3 data reduction:
- Reduction Guide: LDSS3 Data Reduction Guide
- Rotation schedule TBD
MMT Binospec Reduction
For MMT Binospec data reduction:
- Reduction Guide: Binospec Data Reduction Guide
- Rotation schedule TBD
General Guidelines
All data reduction takes place on Cannon, and all raw data is stored in /n/holylabs/LABS/avillar_lab/Lab/ObservationalData.
Making Quicklooks Available on This Website
For quicklooks to be available on this website, all reduced spectra must be placed in /n/holylabs/LABS/avillar_lab/Lab/ObservationalData/all_quicklooks_for_web in the appropriate subfolder:
For example: /n/holylabs/LABS/avillar_lab/Lab/ObservationalData/all_quicklooks_for_web/2024A/fast/2024-03-12
Required CSV Format
All CSV files must comply with the following header format:
Finding / Using Data
Again, this is NOT a complete archive. These are meant to be quicklooks and may not be science-ready. If you want science-ready quality, you can use the FITS file path in the header of the CSV to locate the original FITS files. Note that the archive is updated daily via a cron job and is not instantaneous.
This data can be freely shared with YSE and members of Orcus. Beyond this, you need permission from Ashley or the PI of the program to share data.