BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

Utilizing ARK, the Astrophysics Research Knowledgebase, a service of NASA's High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center, RPS provides a facility for filling out the GALEX Observation Request forms. Electronic submission of the forms is required. The scientific justification must also be submitted electronically, uploaded as a PDF file after the initial submission of the electronic proposal forms. Please note that this PDF cannot exceed 10 MB in size.

Additional information pertaining to GALEX Cycle 6 (including a proposal submission checklist and style templates for your scientific justification) can be found on the GALEX Guest Investigator Cycle 6 web site. This document describes how to go about submitting your GALEX proposal using ARK/RPS.

In order to access the GALEX RPS web form, you must first create an ARK account and/or join the GALEX group.

If you already have an ARK account, login first and select "Join Group" from the menu next to "GALEX RPS (GALEX)" and then click on the Submit Changes button.

If you do not already have an ARK account, enter your e-mail address in the input field provided and click on the checkbox next to "GALEX RPS (GALEX)" and then click on the Join ARK button. Check your e-mail and click on the activation code found therein. Fill out the ARK registration form and submit.

Proposers may begin a proposal in either the GALEX RPS web form (which handles the validation and submission of the cover page, observation forms, and other information) or the GALEX Planning Wizard (which checks the feasibility of planned observations). Proposal information may be passed between the two systems iteratively, using a common file format that both systems understand.

To begin with GALEX RPS web form, fill out the form as directed below. Observations can be added at the end of the form or by clicking the Add Targets button at the top or bottom of the page. The Add Targets button can be used to add observations by uploading a plain text file containing a list of names and/or positions. Please note that this method will only fill in the observation field name and center position; you will still need to enter other information (science target(s), exposure time, etc.) for each observation using the web interface. You can use the Save button to download a plain text representation of the ARK form, which you can later Reload into ARK or upload to the GALEX Planning Wizard in order to check the feasibility of your planned observations.

Alternatively, proposers may start by using the GALEX Planning Wizard to develop an observing program. The Planning Wizard offers the following tools: Target/Archive Search, Brightness Checker, Exposure Time Calculator, Sky Plotting, and Target Visiblity checking. When you have completed your intital assessment of feasibility, the save file created by the GALEX Planning Wizard should then be uploaded to ARK using the Reload button. Proposers are requested to edit these save files generated by the GALEX Planning Wizard only in ARK or in the Wizard. Other editing may introduce difficulties in the proposal technical review, even if they are not evident in ARK. Proposers can iterate between ARK/RPS and the Wizard as needed, using the common save file. GALEX tools may also be accessed stand-alone if desired.

If you Reload a save file prepared by another user, the PI contact information will be replaced/updated automatically by with the information from the current ARK user's profile after clicking on the Verify button.

Note that the ARK/RPS web form replaces the XML target files previously required with GALEX proposal submissions. If you have XML files from GALEX cycles 1-3 that you wish to reuse, click on the ARK Reload button and upload your XML file to ARK. ARK will parse the XML file and fill out the RPS web form for you using the information found in the XML file you upload. Note that some changes have been made for Cycle 6, so XML files from previous cycles likely will not Verify without some errors, so expect to have to make some modifications to the web form after uploading an XML file from a previous cycle. In particular, you will probably need to update the information on your Co-Investigators (check the separation of the first and last names and fix as needed, update the institutions where necessary, and add e-mail addresses), enter integration times and coordinates for grism pre-images (new), and make sure handled constraints properly (changed to checkboxes and include explanations). You should also check the integration times for all observations and make sure they are correctly specified in kiloseconds.

After you have filled out the form, click the Verify button to make sure you have entered the form information correctly. If the form does not validate, ARK/RPS will identify the reason(s) for non-verification. Once the form verifies successfully, a Submit button will appear, allowing you to submit the proposal to RPS.

The PostScript, PDF, and LaTeX buttons can be used to generate formatted versions of the proposal forms. We recommend that PIs keep formatted copies of the forms for their personal records, but it is not a required part of the proposal submission process.

After clicking on the Submit button, go to your Recent Activity page. Summary information for the proposal that you just submitted should be listed here, indicating that you have successfully submitted your GALEX proposal forms to ARK/RPS. You may now upload your scientific justification (in PDF format). From the Recent Activity page, click on the Files button next to the proposal you submitted, and then click on the Upload button and follow the instructions on that page. After you have successfully uploaded your scientific justification, you have completed your RPS electronic submission.

Note: After submission and before the proposal deadline, you may still Modify or Discard your proposal using the appropriate buttons on the Recent Activity page. The Files button also enables you to Download, Discard, or Replace any file that you previously uploaded.

Additional information on how to use RPS and the answers to some frequently asked questions can be found on the RPS Quick Help page.

Short descriptions of the forms and fields are below. The fields are listed in the same order as found on the web page. The labels for the fields in the web form will link to the appropriate field description below. If you have further questions about the content of the forms' fields, contact the GALEX GI Help Desk. Also, be sure to review the answers to frequently asked questions about proposing for GALEX and the information on the GALEX Guest Investigator Cycle 6 web site.

FORM/FIELD-SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS

Cover Page

This section contains fields for the proposal title, abstract, the type of proposal, research area, and personal information about the principal Guest Investigator (name, institution, address, telephone number, etc.).

Proposal Title

The title of the proposal. Up to 120 characters. Required.

Abstract

2000 characters maximum. Abstracts exceeding this limit must be shortened. Required.

Proposal Type

GALEX Guest Investigator proposals fall into four possible types, which are described in the GALEX NRA. Required. Select one of the following proposal types:

     Standard
     Archival
     Snap
     Legacy

Research Area

The type of research to be conducted in the proposal. Required. Select one of the following areas:

        Deep Fields/Cosmology
        Intergalactic Medium
        Galaxy Clusters
        Galaxy Groups
        Galaxy Interactions
        Abnormal Galaxies
        Normal Galaxies
        Galactic Structure
        Stellar Populations (Clusters, Statistics, Evolution, Environment)
        Interstellar Medium
        Young Stars
        Mid-Life Stars
        Old Stars
        Solar System Objects

Principal Investigator Title

Your title (Dr., Ms., Mr., Prof.). The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

First Name

Your first name. Up to 30 characters are allowed. Required. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Middle Name or Initial

If you like, you may add your middle name or initial(s). Optional. Up to 30 characters are allowed. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Last Name

Your last name (surname). Up to 30 characters are allowed. Required. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Department

The name of your department at your institution. Up to 60 characters are allowed. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Institution

Your institutional affiliation. Required. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Address 1

The first line of your institution's address, e.g., the street name, any number within it, etc. Up to 60 characters. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Address 2

The second line of your institution's address, if needed. Up to 60 characters. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

City/Town

Your city or town. Up to 32 characters. Required. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

State/Province

The name of the state/province/prefecture in which your institution is located. Up to 30 characters. Required. For states in the U.S., please use USPS-standard, two-letter abbreviations. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Zip/Postal Code

The postal code, ZIP code, or equivalent of your institution. Up to 10 characters. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Country

The name of the country in which your institution is located. Required. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission. If your country is not listed, please contact the RPS Help Desk.

Telephone Number

Your telephone number, plus any extension. Please include the international prefix if appropriate. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

Fax Number

Your fax number, if available. 24 characters allowed. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

E-mail Address

Your e-mail address. Up to 60 characters. Required. An e-mail receipt will be sent to this address within 24 hours of the electronic submission of your proposal, if the e-mail receipt option is checked in your ARK user profile. The value for this field comes from your ARK user profile. If it is incorrect, update your ARK user profile prior to proposal submission.

General Form

This form contains details of your collaborators, if any, and additional contact information. Up to 10 Co-Investigators are allowed.

Co-Investigator First Name

The first name of each Co-Investigator. Up to 20 characters.

Co-Investigator Last Name

The last name of each Co-Investigator. Up to 20 characters.

Co-Investigator Institution

The institution for each Co-Investigator. Up to 60 characters. Please refer to the List of Institutions Recognized by RPS and use the official name of the institution wherever possible. Note: If your Co-I's institution is not among those listed, please contact the RPS Help Desk and request that it be added to the list. Such requests are answered within 24 hours.

Co-Investigator Country

The country for each Co-Investigator. If a country is not listed, please contact us at the RPS Help Desk and request that it be added to the list.

Co-Investigator E-mail Address

The e-mail address for each Co-Investigator. Up to 60 characters.

Contact Principal Investigator?

Flag indicating whether or not the Principal Investigator is the main contact person with regards to the proposal.

Name of Contact

The name of the person to contact, if not the Principal Investigator.

Telephone Number of Contact

The telephone number of the person to contact, if not the Principal Investigator.

Fax Number of Contact

The fax number of the person to contact, if not the Principal Investigator.

E-mail Address of Contact

The e-mail address of the person to contact, if not the Principal Investigator.

Estimated NASA FTEs

If there are NASA civil servants among the team (either PI or Co-I), enter the estimated total full-time-equivalent effort (in units of years) that the NASA employees are expected spend on this project. Required.

Can your program's science be achieved with NUV-only observations?

This flag will help the project to decide which programs should be given higher observing priority in the event of a FUV detector problem or extended downtime. Checking "yes" may mean your program will be declared complete with some or all targets having only NUV data.

Does your science require you to receive the photon list data product?

Check this box if your science requires photon list data. There is currently no data analysis software and only limited help desk support for use of photon lists. Proposers requesting photon data should be prepared to develop their own tools in order to use this data.

Any comments that apply to multiple observations?

If you have any comments, constraint(s) descriptions, or special requests that apply to the whole proposal or that apply to multiple observations or that are otherwise not specifically addressed as part of a comment in any specific observation, please enter them in the space provided in order to avoid repeating similar information. Please indicate to which observations the comments in this field pertain. The technical reviewers prefer usage of this field (whenever possible) rather than repeating similar or identical comments at the observation level. Maximum 500 characters.

Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) Run(s)

We strongly recommend usage of the Exposure Time Calculator (ETC), part of the GALEX Planning Wizard, when preparing your proposal. The following fields will provide important information regarding the feasibility of your proposal to the GALEX technical review team and may help optimize your planned observations.

Note: In 1.5 ksec, a point source of FUV [NUV] ABmag of 20 [20] would typically have an imaging SNR of 22 [39] and a median spectroscopic SNR in a 5 A bin of 1.2 [1.4]. These SNR values scale with the square root of exposure time.

Note: Bright fields or sources result in detector dead time, which the ETC does not take into account. As a reference point, stars brighter than 423 counts/sec NUV [97 counts/sec FUV] will suffer a >10% loss in count rate from local gain sag. Fields with global count rates of 20, 40, and 80 counts/sec will effectively have reduced exposure times of 10%, 18%, and 31%. These dead-times affect each detector independent of the other's count rates.

Exposure Time Calculator Request URL

This should be the URL to one of the ETC runs you initiated with the GALEX Planning Wizard. Up to 125 characters. The "Link" to the right of the field can be used to access the ETC run that is referenced.

Exposure Time Calculator Comments

Please use this field to explain (very briefly) to the GALEX technical reviewers why you chose the ETC inputs used. Up to 500 characters.

Exposure Time Calculator Observation List

Use this field to indicate the target(s) to which this run of the ETC applies. This should be a comma-separated list of observation names that are applicable to the ETC run that is referenced. The special value "$ALL" (without quotation marks) in this field is used to indicate the ETC run applies to all the observations in the proposal. Up to 1000 characters.

Observation Form(s)

The details that need to be specified for each observation. If you have questions about the contents of the Observation form fields, contact the GALEX GI Help Desk. In general, a proposal should not contain multiple new observations with the same aperture type and identical or nearly identical (within a few arcminutes) pointing. Typically, this should be handled as a single observation by checking one of the Observation Constraints checkboxes and explaining the details in either the Description of Constraint(s) or Special Requests fields.

Proposers may now request a single tiling observation for a survey of a given area of sky. Please use the Comments field to give details of the tiling plan, as well as explaining it in the "Description of Observations" section of the science justification document.

Observation or Field Name

Please use the IAU naming conventions for new observations or existing field names for archival data. For archival fields, please use the field name given by the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool (TOAST) in order for the archival request to Verify properly. Always use unique observation names so that the ETC runs can be cross-correlated with the observations to which they apply. Up to 30 characters. Required.

R.A.

The J2000 right ascension of the observation's field center (boresight). You may enter the right ascension in either sexagesimal format (HH MM SS.SS — hours, minutes, seconds, separated by spaces) or decimal degrees format (DDD.DDDDDD). Required. Use the GALEX Brightness Checker Tool (either stand-alone or preferably as part of using the GALEX Planning Wizard) to verify that this position can be observed safely by the instrument. If this is an archival observation, please enter the field center position of the original observation, as given by the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool (TOAST).

Dec.

The J2000 declination of the observation's field center (boresight). You may enter the declination in either sexagesimal format (±DD MM SS.S — an optional sign, either + or -, followed by the degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds, separated by spaces) or decimal degrees format (±DD.DDDDDD). If you do not specify the sign, it is assumed to be positive. Required. Use the GALEX Brightness Checker Tool (either stand-alone or preferably as part of using the GALEX Planning Wizard) to verify that this position can be observed safely by the instrument. If this is an archival observation, please enter the field center position of the original observation, as given by the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool (TOAST).

Science Target(s)

In many cases, the field center and the science target position will be the same and the size of the science target will be small. If this is the case you do not need to fill in the following science target fields; the science target will be assumed to be a point source at the field center. However, if the science target is not at the field center and/or if there are more than one science target and/or if the science target is extended (> 0.1 arcmin), then fill in the following fields accordingly. Please note that if you fill in one subfield, you will need to fill in all of them. You may add up to 10 science targets per observation. If you have more than 10 science targets in a field, please make sure that the science targets entered in the form are indicative of the outer edges of the relevant observing area. This information may be used to limit possible shifts of the field center.

Science Target Name

The designation of the science target. Please use IAU naming conventions, such as those recognized by either the SIMBAD or NED name resolvers.

Science Target R.A.

The J2000 right ascension of the science target. You may enter the right ascension in either sexagesimal format (HH MM SS.SS — hours, minutes, seconds, separated by spaces) or decimal degrees format (DDD.DDDDDD).

Science Target Dec.

The J2000 declination of the science target. You may enter the declination in either sexagesimal format (±DD MM SS.S — an optional sign, either + or -, followed by the degrees, arcminutes, and arcseconds, separated by spaces) or decimal degrees format (±DD.DDDDDD).

Science Target Size

The diameter (in arcminutes) of the circle that completely encloses your region of interest and is centered on the Science Target Position. This is to assure that all of your targets will remain in the observing field, should the whole field center need to be shifted. Round to the nearest tenth of an arcminute, with a minimum of 0.1 arcminutes (approximately equal to the GALEX PSF). The target size cannot extend off the edge of the 1.2-degree field. Please note that data quality begins to degrade beyond a radius of ~33 arcminutes (~0.55 degrees). Use multiple science targets to approximate extended objects of non-circular shape. Please note that, in ~97% of GALEX observatios, pointing centers are within 3 arcminutes of the planned pointing, but occasionally offsets are larger.

Science Targets Distance(s)

Choose from the following list of options:

Galactic
Extragalactic
Both/Unknown

This is used to determine extinction estimates in the technical review. Required.

Special Co-Add?

If you wish to request a special co-add, specify "Yes."

Proposers may now request special co-adds of archival data, or of new + archival data. These may be requested, e.g., to combine observations at overlapping but offset pointings. Any data to be included in a special co-add should be carefully explained. The GALEX Science Operations Center will work with proposers in Phase 2 to optimize special co-adds to their science goals. Use the Special Co-Add Description field to indicate which other (archival or new) observations are to be included in the special co-add.

Special Co-Add Description

Up to 800 characters. Indicate which other (archival or new) observations are to be included in the special co-add. Explain your project's particular requirements. Include total required (summed) exposure time and depth or S/N required for specific targets/regions/entire field. Specify any requirement for data from different epochs to be co-added into separate data products.

Archival Data?

If this observation is a request for archival data, specify "Yes." For archival fields, please use the field name and coordinates given by the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool (TOAST) in order for the archival request to Verify properly. Any observation listed in TOAST may be requested as an archival observation and is expected to be available in Cycle 6 as part of GR6. However, proposers should be aware that only observations already collected and (already) available in GR5 are guaranteed to be available as archival data. If proposers are concerned that a particular observation may not occur (e.g., it is a Snap target) they should request a new observation and note the duplication and concern about non-completion.

If you are requesting an archival observation, you will need to enter the name exactly as it is given in TOAST so that the observation will verify. In a few cases (1% of extant observations), you may receive the following error message on verification: 'Observation or Field Name: non-unique archival field name -- please append subvisit suffix "_sv##" -- see help for more info.' In this case, you will need to construct a more complex observation name than what appears in TOAST. Please append the subvisit number (column 2 in TOAST's 'Matching Observations Table') to the TOAST Observation Name (column 1 in TOAST's 'Matching Observations Table') to construct an observation name for ARK of the form TOAST_Namepart1_Namepart2_sv##. If the number of the subvisit is less than 10, you will need to pad the subvisit number with a 0. E.g., for subvisit 2 the name would be TOAST_Namepart1_Namepart2_sv02; for subvisit 17 the name would be TOAST_Namepart1_Namepart2_sv17. This will occur in some Virgo, FOCA, and LGAL fields, most calibration fields (CAL or WDST), a few GI programs (GI1_100, GI5-064), and all MISMWS fields. We apologize for this inconvenience.

If you are submitting an archival proposal that will involve a very large number of targets and will use as-is data (e.g., searching the entire AIS or determinining SEDs for 500 sources cross-matched with 2MASS and SDSS, etc.), then you can enter one or two examples. Indicate in the Comments that these are typical cases, that your program will involve many more targets, and give an estimate of how many science targets/fields/square degrees will be included. In this case, please give an approximate typical exposure time per field, rather than the largest possible value (if there is a range), and explain your exposure time estimate in the Comments.

Archival Aperture

If this observation pertains to archival data, specify the aperture (observing mode), either "Image" or "Grism", expected or already available in the archive in GR5. The contents of GR5 may be searched using the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool (TOAST).

The remaining fields, other than Comments, apply only to requests for new observations (i.e., not archival data).

Detector Safety

Choose from the following list of options:

Both NUV and FUV Safe to Observe
FUV Only (NUV Unsafe to Observe)
NUV Only (FUV Unsafe to Observe)

Required for new observations.

Total Time for this Observation

The total integration time for this observation, in kiloseconds. This number should be a multiple of 1.5 ksec (one typical GALEX orbit). Required for new observations.

Examples: If you are observing a field that only requires one 1500-second observation, then you should request one observation with a Total Time for this Observation of 1.5 ksec. If you are observing a field that requires 4.5 ksec on-source, then you should request one observation with a total time of 4.5 ksec. If you are observing a field that requires two different observations of 3.0 ksec each (e.g., with the observations separated by at least a month), then you should request a single observation, with a total time of 6.0 ksec. In this case, you should check the Time Critical checkbox and mention the need for the one-month separation of two 3.0-ksec observations in Description of Constraint(s) box. Note that the instruction for this last scenario is a change from Cycles 1-5.

Aperture (Observing Mode)

Specify the aperture, either image or grism, for the observation.

Grism Pre-Image Type

Required for grism observations. Choose either "Archival" or "New" as appropriate.

Every grism observation must have a matching pre-image (or predecessor image) so that the pipeline can determine where to do spectral extractions from the grism images. The total observing time for the pre-image needs to be at least 5% of the total observing time of the grism observation, so that there is a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. The pre-image should be archival, if a suitable archival image exists, i.e., with a pointing center within 15 arcminutes of the proposed grism observation, barring specific science drivers for new imaging observations. Images of all survey types (including AIS and CAI, added for Cycle 6) are now acceptable as archival grism pre-images, provided they meet the 15-arcminute offset and 5%-of-grism-exposure-time requirements. If no archival image is available that is suitable as a pre-image, then you will need to request a new pre-image as part of your proposal. If you require a new pre-image, it must be a separate observation (aperture "image") from the grism observation in your observing program, and the observing time is included in your program's total time. New pre-images should have the same coordinates as the associated grism observation and must have exposure times that are multiples of 1.5 ksec, even if this greatly exceeds the 5%-of-grism-exposure-time requirement.

Grism Pre-Image New Observation / Archival Field Name

Required for grism observations. If you will use an existing or planned observation by either the GALEX PI team or by another GI, please give the full GALEX team target name, as listed in TOAST. If you will be using a different observation from your own program, specify only the observation number in the field provided. Before you Submit your proposal, please check that the pre-image observation numbers are still correct, since changes to the observations can affect their numbering.

Examples:

GALEX PI team target: MIS2DFSGP_30847_0301
Target 64 in GI program 47: GI1_047064_NGC4244
New Observation (observation #4 of your proposal): 4

Time Critical?

If the observation is time critical, specify "Yes." This could include (but is not limited to) coordinations with other observatories, or specified timing cadences, or orbital phases, or contiguous orbits. If you are requesting time-critical observations, please verify that the requested observations are possible, using the GALEX Target Visibility Tool (either stand-alone or preferably as part of using the GALEX Planning Wizard). There are many times of year that a particular target is not observable (too close to Sun/Moon/Jupiter, long observations during SAA passages, etc.). Remember that, in general, a proposal should not contain multiple new observations with the same aperture type and nearly identical pointing (within a few arcminutes).

Target of Opportunity?

If the observation is a Target of Opportunity, specify "Yes." If you do not already know the coordinates, use field and science target coordinates of (0.0, 0.0). Note that unexecuted ToOs will not be carried over beyond the end of the observing cycle.

Low Zodi?

If the observation has a low zodiacal light constraint, specify "Yes." This will restrict available possible observation times and possibly also scheduling priority, so request it only if absolutely necessary (and strongly justified in the proposal text). Note that changes in the zodiacal light level within a target's visibility window do not affect the SNR significantly.

Moving Target?

If the observation is of a moving target, specify "Yes." In this case, use field and science target coordinates of (0.0, 0.0), unless you know the actual position (and presumably also the date) of observation.

Other Constraint?

If the observation has some constraint other than those listed above, specify "Yes." Explain briefly in the following text field and more fully in the feasibility section of the science justification.

Description of Constraint(s)

If you specified yes for any of the above constraints, then you must describe the constraint. Up to 500 characters. Details and justifications should be included in the feasibility section of the science justification. Please use the General Form field Any comments that apply to multiple observations? instead of this field, whenever possible.

Special Requests

Specify any special requests (other than a constraint) you may have pertaining to the observation that have not already been addressed by the above. Please use the General Form fields Any comments that apply to multiple observations? and Does your science require photon list data products? instead of this field, whenever possible. Up to 500 characters.

Comments

Any other relevant comments you wish to make regarding the science target(s) or this observation. Please use the General Form field Any comments that apply to multiple observations?, whenever possible. Please don't repeat identical or similar comments here (or in the Special Requests or Description of Constraint(s) fields) for multiple observations unless each is a unique case. Up to 500 characters.

Tools URLs

We strongly recommend usage of the various GALEX Guest Investigator Tools when preparing your proposal. The following fields will provide the GALEX team important information regarding the feasibility of your proposal. If you use the GALEX Planning Wizard, these fields will be filled in automatically. Note that the latest run of each tool done just prior to saving in the GALEX Planning Wizard will be what is uploaded into ARK. If you want an earlier run to be included in your ARK submission, you will need to change the URLs in these fields.

Target Search Tool Request URL

This tool is now called TOAST, the Target Observation and Archive Search Tool. It will help determine what observations if any have already been made or are planned. Up to 125 characters. The "Link" to the right of the field can be used to access the result of the tool run that is referenced.

Brightness Checker Tool Request URL

This tool will determine if your desired field is safe for GALEX to observe. Up to 125 characters. The "Link" to the right of the field can be used to access the result of the tool run that is referenced. More information on brightness limits is available.

Note: In Cycle 6, the Brightness Checker assumption for zodiacal light contribution to total count rate has been changed, from a fixed 20k/sec to an actual estimate of the lowest zodi level during the visibility window, which is substantially lower (can be more than 10k/sec). Thus, some fields that failed the global count rate test in past cycles will now pass.

Sky Plot Tool Request URL

This tool will show bright stars, existing observations, and the predicted background at your desired observing location and is very useful in figuring out how to avoid over-bright stars. It is also very useful in locating archival data and visualizing the output of the TOAST table in relation to science targets. Up to 125 characters. The "Link" to the right of the field can be used to access the result of the tool run that is referenced.

For assistance please contact the ARK Help Desk

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