Use of the KAS Remote Telescope (RT) located in Piishii Observatory at Arizona Sky Village, Arizona, shall be administered as follows:

1. Only members in good standing will be allowed to use the equipment. Access to the telescope will be controlled by the Remote Telescope Usage Administrator. A member in good standing shall be defined as an individual...

1. with full membership in the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society.
2. having paid the user fee for access to the equipment (hereafter, these members shall be referred to as “Users”).
3. trained, as outlined by the Training Administrator, and issued access passwords.
4. residing within the counties of Kalamazoo, Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kent, St. Joseph, or Van Buren. Members who reside outside of these counties will be evaluated individually by the Remote Telescope Committee (RTC).

2. Institutions within the counties of Kalamazoo, Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kent, St. Joseph, or Van Buren will be allowed to use the equipment upon approval of a written proposal submitted to the RTC. Institutions that are located outside of these counties will be evaluated individually by the RTC.

3. Members, individuals, and institutions that reside outside of the areas defined in 1C and 2 can use the RT, providing:

1. They submit the required proposal, which will be evaluated by the RTC.
2. They submit payment for fees identified when evaluating the proposal. (Fees will be waived for public institutions; however, fees may be assessed for nonpublic institutions.)

4. Time and usage allocations for individuals shall be assigned as follows:

1. Requests for telescope time must be submitted to the Remote Telescope Usage Administrator via the Remote Telescope Usage Form on the KAS website (password required to view the page).
2. Telescope time may be scheduled no more than 60 days in advance, up to 8 a.m. ET on the day of use.
3. Time on the telescope will be assigned in 4-hour blocks using Arizona Time.
4. A maximum of 8 hours per week can be reserved.
5. If there are time blocks that have not been reserved, they are available to any RT User in good standing and do not count against the 8-hour maximum. Free hours must be scheduled between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on the day of use. After scheduling, the hours will be designated with an asterisk on the public schedule board. A maximum of 8 hours per week can be on the schedule for each User under these criteria.
6. If there are conditions that prevent the use of the equipment (i.e., weather, mechanical, etc.), that time period will not be made up to the detriment of other Users who are in the schedule queue. That User is responsible for rescheduling their telescope time.
7. Time slots lost due to the described conditions will still count against the 8-hour maximum per week of telescope time.
8. In the event of a special astronomical phenomenon (i.e., comets, supernovae, etc.), the RTC reserves the right to cancel and reassign previously scheduled time blocks.
9. The RTC may disable the RT at their discretion. (Events such as maintenance, severe weather, and dangerous conditions are examples of such instances.)
10. The RT Usage Administrator will monitor usage and provide feedback to the RTC regarding usage, scheduling problems, and any other issues pertaining to the RT.
11. The RT reservation schedule will be posted on the KAS website for the convenience of the Users.

5. Defining ownership of images and other data from the KAS Remote Telescope:

1. All data (i.e., photos, spectra, etc.) acquired with the KAS Remote Telescope will be jointly owned by the User and the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society.
2. The use of data will be without encumbrances (i.e., copyrights, etc.) by any User, individual, institution, or the KAS.
3. Data may be freely exchanged among all RT Users. The exception will be the use of data from Users who have submitted proposals and addressed the issue in advance as part of their submission.
4. Publication and private sales of images and data acquired with the KAS Remote Telescope are prohibited by all Users without the written consent of the KAS Board.

The Remote Telescope Committee (RTC) maintains oversight for the KAS Remote Telescope, subject to the final authority of the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society Board of Directors. All decisions of the RTC concerning eligibility, allocation, scheduling, equipment purchase, and repair will be subject to board review and approval.

Issues such as equipment breakdowns, heavy membership usage, and other unique requirements may necessitate changes to the Usage Guidelines. These guidelines can be changed and modified without general membership consent.

Last Updated: April 19, 2024