NICER / ISS Science Nugget
for September 21, 2023
Response to NICER's 6th General Observer Cycle
September 14 was the deadline for submission of proposals to use NICER for observations of astrophysical phenomena during Cycle 6 of the mission's General Observer program, which will run from March 1, 2024, to February 28, 2025.
In total, 129 proposals were received from 389 scientists, comparable to the numbers in the prior Cycle. The worldwide astronomy community's interest in using NICER for research remains high, despite the recent degradation in NICER's performance from a "light leak" due to orbital debris. The continued engagement and growth of NICER's user community reflects optimism about the instrument's future scientific contributions and the prospect of a possible repair to restore full capabilities at some point during Cycle 6. The NICER team is grateful to its user community and for the continued support of the ISS program.
Left: Number of proposals received in each of the six annual open opportunities to propose for observing time with NICER. Proposals undergo rigorous technical and scientific peer review.
Right: Number of unique proposers (both Principal and Co-Investigators) who have participated in NICER's General Observer program to date.
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