STScI will perform screening of all SBC exposures prior to scheduling. Targets not established as safe for the configuration in which they are being observed will not be scheduled. Observations that pass screening but are lost in orbit due to a bright-object violation will not be rescheduled. Observers are responsible for ensuring that their observations do not violate the SBC count-rate limits.
To ensure that STScI can adequately screen observations, special constraints are imposed on parallel observing with the SBC. In particular:
ORIENT
usually limits the scheduling of observations each year. The observer is responsible for ensuring that observations do not violate the SBC count rate limits both for coordinated parallel SBC observations and for prime observations.
Targets that are one magnitude or more fainter than the magnitude limits in the screening tables generally automatically pass screening. For a target that is within one magnitude of the screening limits, observers must provide a calibrated spectrum of the source at the intended observing wavelength. If such a spectrum is not available, the prospective GO must request an orbit in Phase I for a pre-qualification exposure, during which the target spectrum must be determined by observation in an allowed configuration.
Please note that if you are proposing SBC target-of-opportunity observations, we ask you to provide an explanation in your Phase I proposal of how you will ensure that your target can be safely observed.
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