Visiting Astronomers Guide

Visiting Astronomers Guide 

Rev. January 12, 2012

Introduction

This brief guide describes logistical arrangements for Visiting Astronomers scheduled to observe at the SOAR Telescope. Any questions and booking requests should be addressed to your Visit Coordinator:

NOAO & Chilean Visitors: Ximena  Herreros (xherreros@ctio.noao.edu)   

                                     Phone: +56-51-205215, Fax +56-51-205212

                     All Others:  Marcela Urquieta (murquieta@ctio.noao.edu)

                                      Phone: +56-51-205323, Fax +56-51-205368

The SOAR Telescope is located on Cerro Pachón at an altitude of 2,738m, some 400m from the Gemini South telescope, and 12Km from Cerro Tololo.  The map below shows the locations of SOAR, Gemini-South, and the dining and dormitory facilities on Cerro Pachón. 

Should you need information regarding: Visa requirements to enter Chile, Currency, Customs Procedures, Travelling to La Serena, Taxis and Buses in Santiago and Arrival in La Serena, please goes to the following link http://www.ctio.noao.edu/diroff/obser_trav.htm

Transportation Up and Down Cerro Pachon

SOAR Visiting Astronomers are welcome to use the available NOAO/Tololo and Gemini carryall services to get to/from Cerro  Pachon; however, these must be requested in advance through the Visit Coordinator.

The carry-all trip from the La Serena AURA Headquarters to the SOAR Telescope on Cerro Pachon is about 1h45m.

The current carry-all schedules are: 

Passengers traveling from La Serena Reception to Cerro Pachon should board the NOAO/Tololo bound carryall; it will take them to the El Quisco fork, where another vehicle will be waiting to take them to the Pachon dining room.  Before departing please check with your Visit Coordinator that a vehicle will be at El Quisco waiting for you.

Passengers traveling from Cerro Pachon to La Serena should board the NOAO/Tololo shuttle at the Pachon dinning room; this will transport them to “El Quisco” where they will be picked up by La Serena bound carry-all. There is a sign up sheet for the carryall in the entrance hall to the dinning room. Again it would be wise to check your outgoing reservations. 

Should you need a Special Transport on Sundays, holidays or weekdays, please contact your Visit Coordinator as far in advance as possible.

There is a sign up sheet for the carry-all in the AURA Reception and the entrance hall to the dinning rooms. Again it would be wise to check your outgoing reservations. 

GETTING AROUND ON CERRO PACHÓN

 Arrival

Passengers arriving via the NOAO Carryall will be taken to the Pachon dining facility. 

Passengers arriving on the Gemini carryall transport system will arrive directly to the Hotel or the 20 Unit Dorm.

Keys to the rooms are identified with the name of the user and hung on a rack in the Central Hall of each building. 

Rental Car  

A rental car (Toyota Tercel automatic transmission) is available to be used by the scheduled observer(s) exclusively for travel between the Telescope area and the dormitory, which are separated by approximately 3Km. It should under no circumstances be used to drive to Cerro Tololo or other locations beyond the turn-off to the dormitory.

The rental car can be picked up from the Pachón dining facility at the start of your run. The Chief Cook on duty will fill out the registration form and provide you with the keys, along with a flashlight. The vehicle should be returned to the same location at the end of your run, where the duty Cook will verify that the car and other items have been returned in good condition.

Users are asked to drive with appropriate care, especially after dark. The road is steep with several sharp bends, and only part is paved; stray goats, horses/mules, and cows, not to mention other astronomers, are a common hazard.   It is especially noted that, after snowfall, or when wet, the road, including the paved section, becomes very slippery, and the rental vehicle must not be used under such conditions.  Under these circumstances visitors should arrange to ride to/from the telescope with the telescope operators.  If the telescope operators cannot be reached, contact the SOAR console room (x500) to arrange a ride to/from the telescope.

Please use low lights when driving at night on the section of road between SOAR and the end of the pavement closest to the dormitory in order to avoid interfering with observations.

Accommodations

Visiting astronomers will be assigned a room either at the Hotel or the Motel (referred to as the 20- Units Dorm for historical reasons), depending on availability at the time of booking.

The Hotel has 10 rooms, two rooms are used by SOAR night staff and the other six are available for NOAO, SOAR, Gemini visitors or staff. Each room has internet via cable, its own bathroom and a telephone. It has a common room equipped with a TV set, Internet, coffee and tea making equipment. The Laundry room that serves both buildings is in the 20 Unit dorm. When using these facilities please recall that others, on a different work schedule may be sleeping. 

The Motel or 20 Units Dorm actually has 12 rooms, where each pair shares a bathroom. As far as space allows only one half of each pair will be used, however, you should be aware of the possibility of sharing the bathroom in times of peak demand.  Only the common room  has a  TV set and telephone, there is no internet connection at this place.

Bedrooms and bathrooms at the hotel and motel are cleaned on a daily basis; every fourth day a thorough cleaning is carried out and bed and bath linen is changed.

"Room emergencies" will be handled by the following persons:

 Monday through Friday from noon to 23:00

Oscar Núñez (9-09-76015816) 

Dining on Cerro Pachón

Your Visit Coordinator will provide you with a swipe card for purchasing meals at the Pachón Dinning Facility. Pass the card through the machine in the entrance hall, and then hand the printed slip to the cook; you will only be billed for the meals you actually partake. 

Meal Schedule

Breakfast       08:00 to 08:30

Lunch            13:00 to 14:00

Dinner           17:00 to 19:00

Night Lunch - To get your night lunch you must fill out an order form at lunchtime and hand it to

                     kitchen staff before 2pm. Your pack with a thermos and sandwiches will be ready

                     at dinner time. The night lunch forms are available in the dining-room.

Chile’s official time changes to summer time, when the clocks advance by one hour, in the second week of October and changes back the second week of March.  

Special Dietary concerns and precautions

Should you require vegetarian meals or a special diet at Cerro Pachón, please notify your Visit Coordinator in advance so that the Kitchen can make the appropriate arrangements.

While in Chile it is recommended that you eat only peeled or cooked fruits and vegetables. Seafood should only be consumed cooked.

Drinking Water

Drinking water is safe at all the AURA-O facilities (La Serena, Cerro Pachón and Tololo). Elsewhere in Chile it is recommended that you drink bottled water.

Charges & Payment Procedure

Prior to the start of your observing run you will be given a Credit Card Authorization Form. This should be completed and sent by FAX or delivered personally to your Visit Coordinator. 

 The completion and return of this Credit Card Authorization form grants AURA-O Accounting the right to charge the card indicated by the visitor for services.  This invoice will be subject to an email confirmation from the visitor approving the charges.  

Emergency Services

A Paramedic staffs the First Aid Clinic, which operates in room #7 of the Pachón Hotel. For day and night-time assistance in case of illness or an accident, please call at 9-205577.

If you suffer from a medical condition or are taking medicine regularly be sure to communicate this to the Paramedic upon arrival. 

Alcohol/Drugs

Carrying to and/or consuming alcohol or any kind of illegal drugs on the mountain is expressly forbidden under any condition or circumstance.   

 
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Key Telephone numbers for SOAR/CTIO Staff

   Revised January 12, 2012