README web version of /home/usg/OPS/MTS/readme_xml/readme_81501700

Principal Investigator Email Address

```
bedin@stsci.edu
```

Estimated Total Execution Time (hours, including overheads)

```
1h
```

General Description

This is the follow-up to the discovery (in mid-May) of a luminous optical
 transient in NGC300. 

 The best current available finding chart we have for the object is in attach. 

 The object itself needs to be used as natural guiding stars for the AO system,
 
 while it is still bright (V~14.2)!!! (as soon as possible). 
 
 The purpose is to image also the surrunding brightest stars to improve the 
 relative astrometry once compared with HST archive material. 

---proposal abstract---
A luminous optical transient  discovered in the nearby (~2.2 Mpc)
Sculptor Group spiral  NGC 300 in May 2008 appears to  be a new member
of the V838  Monocerotis class of stars that expand in  a few weeks to
become   red  supergiants.    Spectroscopic  observations   show  that
NGC_300_OT  is  not a  classical  nova,  supernova,  or luminous  blue
variable.  At  an absolute magnitude  of -12.5, it is  the brightest
star at present in NGC 300, but  if it follows the pattern of V838 Mon
and the  similar object M31 RV, it  will fade away rapidly  in about 3
months.

Before it fades,  we propose to obtain VLT NACO high resolution images  
in order to locate the position  of the  object to within  a few milliarcsec.  
 
This will allow us to  identify the progenitor object, based on  a superb set of
pre-outburst HST ACS/WFC images  of NGC 300 available in the HST archive.

Waiver Requests

```
No Waiver Request was submitted
```

Critical Observing Condition Constraints

seeing <~0.8 
airmass <~1.5
at the ~end of night. 

  Local      UT      LMST      HA     secz   par.angl. SunAlt MoonAlt  HelCorr
   5 00     9 00    20 47    -4 08    1.684   -94.9     ...     42.4   +22.00
   6 00    10 00    21 48    -3 07    1.339   -85.8    -17.3    53.5   +21.96
   7 00    11 00    22 48    -2 07    1.154   -73.6     -4.4    61.7   +21.89

Time-Critical Aspects

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
as soon as possible
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special Execution Requirements

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Special Calibration Information

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ToO Information

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ToO Activators List

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Is this a Pre-imaging run ?

```
false
```

Pre-imaging Requirements

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Source(s) of Pre-imaging

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Pre-imaging sources not listed above

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Do all your OBs comply with the instrument-specific requirements listed on the instrument-specific Phase 2 web page ?

If this is a pre-imaging run, did you select PRE-IMAGING for the Observing Category for each Observing Template ?

```
N/A
```

Do all your finding charts comply with both the general and instrument-specific Phase 2 Web Pages ?

If you submitted OBs for standard stars, did you specify the magnitude and spectral type of all standard stars in the OBs ?

```
N/A
```

Have you included OBs for any calibrations that you need but which are not part of the Calibration Plan ?

```
N/A
```

If you are observing Moving Targets, have you attached suitable ephemeris files to your OBs?

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N/A
```

If you have preferences which OBs should be executed first, did you make use of the User Priority field in the OBs ?

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N/A
```

If this is a run that requires coordinated observations with other facilities, did you give proper instructions in the Time-Critical Aspects Section ?

```
N/A
```

If you have PSF reference star OBs, do the names of those OBs begin with PSF_ ?

If there are Finding Charts attached to your OBs, is the field-of-view of at least one of these charts 2' x 2' (with clearly labelled field orientation) ?

Have you clearly marked and labelled your wavefront reference objects R1, R2, R3, ... (as specified in the NAOS Preparation Software) on your Finding Charts ?

```
N/A
```

Have you specified the magnitude of the brightest object in the field-of-view for each OB ?

```
N/A
```

Are there objects in any of your fields (including standard stars) which are brighter than the limits specified in the User Manual and on NACO web Pages ?

If the previous answer is yes, have you given a list of OBs and a justification for the brightness limit violation in the general description field ?

```
N/A
```

Last creation of page: Tue Oct 6 15:40:25 2009
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