Telescope Access#
This page lists the facilities expected to be made available via the Vera C. Rubin Observatory In-kind Program. The information on this page is subject to change. Final information on resources, time availability, and other pertinent information will be provided as part of the NOIRLab Call for Proposals each semester. Unless otherwise noted, this time will be made available via the NOIRLab Time Allocation Process.
Use the filters, search, or map below to find facilities relevant to your science case.
Please email the in-kind helpdesk rubin-inkind at noirlab dot edu if you have any questions about contributed telescope access.
GTC Observing Time Opportunity for the US and Chilean Community
A special allocation of ~2 nights/semester on the 10.4m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is available to the US and Chilean community via a Letter-of-Intent + Spanish TAC co-PI process.
- 2026-08-07 — Letters of Intent due
- 2026-08-31 — Matchmaking & feasibility notifications
- 2026-09-01 — GTC Call for Proposals opens
- 2026-10-01 — Spanish TAC submission deadline
Related facility: ESP-BCM-S5 ESP-IAC-S1
NOIRLab Call for Proposals -- Semester 2027A
The standard NOIRLab Time Allocation Process call for the 2027A semester, which governs most contributed telescope time on this page, is expected to open around September 1, 2026. Check back here or the NOIRLab proposals page for the confirmed date and the Rubin in-kind facilities section once it is published.
- 2026-09-01 — Call for Proposals opens
| Facility | Location | Instrumentation | Status | Aperture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Palma (Roque de los Muchachos Observatory), Spain | Imaging, Spectroscopy | Available | 10.4m | |
| Cerro Tololo, Chile | Imaging | Available | 1.6m | |
| SAAO, South Africa | Imaging | Available | 1.6m | |
| Siding Spring Observatory, Australia | Imaging | Available | 1.6m | |
| Mt. Graham, USA | Imaging, Spectroscopy | Available | 2 x 8.4m | |
| Astronomical Station Vidojevica, Serbia | Imaging | Available | 1.4m | |
| La Palma (Roque de los Muchachos Observatory), Spain | Spectroscopy | Available | 2.56m | |
| SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa | Imaging, Spectroscopy | Available | 9.2m | |
| Maunakea, USA | Imaging, Spectroscopy | Available | 8.2m | |
| Cerro Paranal, Chile | Imaging | Available | 2.6m | |
| Mt John Observatory, New Zealand | Imaging | Future semester | 1.0m | |
| Mt John Observatory, New Zealand | Imaging | Future semester | 1.8m | |
| TÜBİTAK National Observatory, Türkiye | Imaging | Future semester | 1.5m / 1.0m | |
| San Pedro Mártir, Mexico | Imaging | Future semester | 2m | |
| SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa | Imaging, Spectroscopy | Future semester | 1.9m-1.0m |
10.4m — La Palma (Roque de los Muchachos Observatory), Spain
Imaging Spectroscopy Optical NIR ToO Multiplex
Instruments: OSIRIS+, EMIR, MEGARA, HiPERCAM
Contribution ID: ESP-BCM-S5, ESP-IAC-S1
First semester: TBA Time available: 2 nights/semester Duration: 10 years
Roughly two nights per semester will be available at the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), a 10.4 meter Optical/NIR telescope in La Palma, Spain, contributed jointly via ESP-BCM-S5 (Barcelona-Madrid) and ESP-IAC-S1 (IAC). In-kind access to the GTC is not allocated via the NOIRLab TAC, but via a dedicated Letter-of-Intent + Spanish TAC co-PI process (see the featured opportunity above when a call is open). This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the starting semester.
Contact: Steven Margheim (steven.margheim@noirlab.edu)
Links: Home, Instrumentation
1.6m — Cerro Tololo, Chile
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: KOR-KAS-S2
First semester: 2026A Time available: 150 hours/semester Duration: 5 years
Roughly 150 hours per semester will be available on each of the telescopes of the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network, 1.6 meter optical imaging telescopes located in Cerro Tololo (Chile), Siding Spring Observatory (Australia), and SAAO (South Africa). AEON is available for all KMTNet observations, in two modes: 30 minutes at the start or end of every night, or pre-allocated AEON nights. This contribution is expected to be available for 5 years after the first semester.
Contact: Min-Su Shin (msshin@kasi.re.kr)
Links: Network home, AEON access info
Also available under this contribution: Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (SAAO), Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (Siding Spring Observatory)
1.6m — SAAO, South Africa
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: KOR-KAS-S2
First semester: 2026A Time available: 150 hours/semester Duration: 5 years
Roughly 150 hours per semester will be available on each of the telescopes of the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network, 1.6 meter optical imaging telescopes located in Cerro Tololo (Chile), Siding Spring Observatory (Australia), and SAAO (South Africa). AEON is available for all KMTNet observations, in two modes: 30 minutes at the start or end of every night, or pre-allocated AEON nights. This contribution is expected to be available for 5 years after the first semester.
Contact: Min-Su Shin (msshin@kasi.re.kr)
Links: Network home, AEON access info
Also available under this contribution: Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (Cerro Tololo), Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (Siding Spring Observatory)
1.6m — Siding Spring Observatory, Australia
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: KOR-KAS-S2
First semester: 2026A Time available: 150 hours/semester Duration: 5 years
Roughly 150 hours per semester will be available on each of the telescopes of the Korean Microlensing Telescope Network, 1.6 meter optical imaging telescopes located in Cerro Tololo (Chile), Siding Spring Observatory (Australia), and SAAO (South Africa). AEON is available for all KMTNet observations, in two modes: 30 minutes at the start or end of every night, or pre-allocated AEON nights. This contribution is expected to be available for 5 years after the first semester.
Contact: Min-Su Shin (msshin@kasi.re.kr)
Links: Network home, AEON access info
Also available under this contribution: Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (Cerro Tololo), Korean Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) (SAAO)
2 x 8.4m — Mt. Graham, USA
Imaging Spectroscopy Optical NIR ToO
Instruments: LBC, MODS, LUCI, PEPSI
Contribution ID: ITA-INA-S18
First semester: 2026B Time available: 20 hours/year (open-shutter, within INAF blocks) Duration: through FY2034
20 hours of open-shutter time per year will be available at the twin 8.4m Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, within INAF’s reserved observing blocks, with the suite of facility imaging and spectroscopy instruments provided (only facility instruments are offered). Observations are carried out in service mode by INAF staff; programs requiring a strictly fixed cadence cannot be supported. ToOs are executed within the INAF blocks; exceptionally urgent triggers need approval from the other LBT partners. Raw/calibration data are available immediately at archive.lbto.org with a 1-year proprietary period. This contribution is expected to be available through FY2034.
Contact: Felice Cusano (felice.cusano@inaf.it), LBT-Italia (general) (lbt-italia@inaf.it)
Links: Home, Instruments, Data archive, SIPGI reduction pipeline
Also available under this contribution: VLT Survey Telescope (VST)
1.4m — Astronomical Station Vidojevica, Serbia
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Instruments: Andor iKon-L 936 CCD
Contribution ID: SER-SAG-S2
First semester: 2025A Time available: 2 nights/month Duration: 10 years
Two nights per month are available on the 1.4m Milanković Telescope located at the Astronomical Station Vidojevica near Prokuplje, Serbia. Optical imaging is available with the Andor iKon-L 936 CCD and Johnson B, V, R, I, L filters plus H-alpha, H-alpha continuum, and SII. This facility offers AEON compatibility and is available for target-of-opportunity observations; observations are taken in service mode. Raw data are available within 24 hours and fully reduced/calibrated data within 72 hours. This contribution was first made available in Semester 2025A.
Contact: Maša Lakićević (mlakicevic@aob.rs)
2.56m — La Palma (Roque de los Muchachos Observatory), Spain
Spectroscopy Optical ToO
Instruments: ALFOSC
Contribution ID: SWE-STK-S3
First semester: 2025A Time available: 70 hours/semester Duration: 2 years (4 semesters)
70 hours of observing time on the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) are available for supernova classification using the ALFOSC instrument (low/medium resolution spectroscopy). Successful PIs can submit Soft-ToO triggers for classification and follow-up of transients, primarily supernovae – triggers should be sent the afternoon before observation; this is a next-available-night mechanism, not a hard interrupt. Fully reduced spectra are uploaded to WISeREP/TNS within 48 hours of observation with no proprietary period. This contribution was first made available in Semester 2025A.
Contact: Jesper Sollerman (jesper@astro.su.se)
Links: Instrumentation, WISeREP/TNS
9.2m — SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa
Imaging Spectroscopy Optical ToO
Contribution ID: SZA-SAA-S1
First semester: 2026A Time available: 25 hours/semester Duration: 10 years
25 hours per semester will be available on the 9.2 meter South African Large Telescope located at the South African Astronomical Observatory. SALT has a wide range of instrumentation available. This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the start of the first semester of availability.
Contact: SALT Help Desk (general queries) (salthelp@salt.ac.za)
Links: Home, Instrumentation, Call document, Simulation tools
2.6m — Cerro Paranal, Chile
Imaging Optical ToO
Instruments: OmegaCAM
Contribution ID: ITA-INA-S18
First semester: 2026B Time available: 35 nights/year Duration: through FY2034
35 pre-allocated nights per year will be available at the 2.6 meter VLT Survey Telescope at Paranal, Chile, for imaging observations. ToO requests can typically be accommodated on a ~24-hour timescale, subject to instrument availability. Observations are carried out in service mode by INAF staff; programs requiring a strictly fixed cadence cannot be supported. Raw data are available via the ESO Science Archive as soon as ingested, with a 1-year proprietary period. The standard reduction environment is Astro-WISE. This contribution is expected to be available through FY2034.
Contact: Felice Cusano (felice.cusano@inaf.it), VST (general) (vst@inaf.it)
Links: Home (INAF), OmegaCAM instrument page, Astro-WISE reduction environment, Data-reduction training sessions
Also available under this contribution: Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)
1.0m — Mt John Observatory, New Zealand
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: NZL-AUK-S1
First semester: TBA Time available: 200 equivalent hours (Nov-Feb) Duration: 10 years
Roughly 200 equivalent hours will be available in the November-February period on the 1.0 meter McLellan telescope at the University of Canterbury’s Ōtehīwai Mt John Observatory in New Zealand. This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the first semester of availability.
Links: Mt John Observatory wiki
Also available under this contribution: Nishimura 1.8m (MOA)
1.8m — Mt John Observatory, New Zealand
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: NZL-AUK-S1
First semester: TBA Time available: 10 nights/semester Duration: 10 years
Approximately 10 nights per semester will be available on the MOA 1.8 meter telescope at the University of Canterbury’s Ōtehīwai Mt John Observatory in New Zealand. This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the first semester of availability.
Links: Mt John Observatory wiki
Also available under this contribution: McLellan 1.0m
1.5m / 1.0m — TÜBİTAK National Observatory, Türkiye
Imaging Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: TUR-AKD-S1
First semester: TBA Time available: 23 nights/year total Duration: 10 years
23 nights per year will be available at the T100 and RTT150 telescopes at the TÜBİTAK National Observatory in southern Türkiye. ToO is supported on predefined nights only, not as a full-time interrupt capability. This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the first semester of availability.
2m — San Pedro Mártir, Mexico
Imaging Optical
Contribution ID: TAI-NCU-S1
First semester: TBA Time available: 20 nights/semester Duration: 10 years
NCU is providing approximately 20 nights per semester for 10 years on the 2-meter Trans-Pacific Telescope at San Pedro Mártir, Mexico, for dedicated follow-up imaging observations complementing LSST data. Observations are queue-mode (no travel required); standard calibration data are taken nightly by on-site staff. Raw data are available within 24 hours and fully reduced/calibrated data within 48 hours, with photometric catalogs available on request. NCU intends to conform to AEON standards, but procedures are not yet established – this project is still pre-first-light. A user helpdesk is currently under development.
Links: Home
1.9m-1.0m — SAAO, Sutherland, South Africa
Imaging Spectroscopy Optical AEON ToO
Contribution ID: SZA-SAA-S4
First semester: TBA Time available: 26 hours/semester Duration: 10 years
Approximately 26 hours per semester will be available on a network of telescopes at the South African Astronomical Observatory, including the 1.0 meter and 1.9 meter facilities. This contribution is expected to be available for 10 years from the start of the first semester of availability.