NOT Annual Report 2004 (PDF) - Nordic Optical Telescope

Front cover: The Horsehead Nebula in Orion.
Composite image in blue, yellow, and red
light taken with ALFOSC.
Photo: M. Gålfalk, Stockholm University
NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE | ANNUAL REPORT 2004
NORDIC OPTICAL TELESCOPE
The Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) is a modern,
well-equipped 2.5-m telescope located at the Spanish
Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on the
island of La Palma, Canarias, Spain. It is operated
for the benefit of Nordic astronomy by the Nordic
Optical Telescope Scientific Association (NOTSA),
established by the national Research Councils of
Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and the
University of Iceland.
The governing body of NOTSA is the Council, which
determines overall policies, approves the annual
budgets and accounts, and appoints the Director
and Astronomer-in-Charge. A Scientific and Technical
Committee (STC) advises the Council on the
performance and plans for the telescope and other
scientific and technical policy matters.
An international Observing Programmes Committee
(OPC) of independent, experienced scientists,
appointed by the Council, performs peer review and
scientific ranking of the observing proposals submitted.
Each member has a substitute to broaden the
scientific basis for the review, ensure that a full OPC
can always meet, and resolve any potential conflicts
of interest. Based on the ranking by the OPC, the
Director prepares the actual observing schedule.
The Director has overall responsibility for the operations
of the NOT, including staffing, financial matters,
external relations, and long-term planning. The
staff on La Palma is led by the Astronomer-in-
Charge, who has authority to deal with all local and
urgent matters related to the operation of NOT.
The composition of the Council and committees in
2004 is listed at the end of this report. Contact information
to NOT itself is also provided there.
The Annual Reports for 2002-2004
are also available at:
http://www.not.iac.es/news/reports/