NSF Visitor Support for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility

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The NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) was established by NASA as a national astronomical observatory primarily to support missions and to obtain infrared observations of solar system objects. The IRTF is managed, operated and maintained for NASA under a Cooperative Agreement with the University of Hawaii (UH) through its Institute for Astronomy. NASA provides the entire cost of operation of the facility as well as visitor support for the astronomers carrying out programs focused on Solar System objects. Approximately 50% of the available observing time is allocated to such programs. The rest of the observing time is allocated to observational programs of scientific interest outside the Solar System. NSF provides funding for visitor support for the approximately 50% of observers whose programs are not related to Solar System objects. This award covers the NSF-related visitor and observing support costs for observers who either come to the observatory or observe remotely. These costs include the cost of lodging and food at the Mauna Kea Observatory mid-level facility, ground transportation between Hilo and the summit, and cryogens for the instruments. For remote observing programs, the costs include support for a second person at the summit (for safety reasons) and the food and lodging for this person at the mid-level facility. In regard to broader impact, most of the IRTF staff are based at the UH facilities in Hilo, situated in a largely rural setting. Several underrepresented groups (e.g. native Hawaiian) are employees of or are UH students with the IRTF. In addition to disseminating research results to the scientific community, the IRTF contributes to educational and public outreach within the Hilo community through two major programs ? Journey through the Universe (JTTU) and the Imiloa Astronomy Center. The JTTU program (the IRTF is part of the team) is a community based program originally sponsored by USRA?s National Center for Space, Earth, and Flight Sciences that brings together the resources of the entire local community (schools, families, businesses, civic groups, local government, and academic/research institutes) to promote astronomy and science to K-12 students through the development of an astronomy curriculum for all grade levels. The IRTF is a resource for highlighting exciting examples of science and technology in Hilo. The Imiloa Astronomy Center is a modern astronomy education and outreach center in Hilo whose goal is to educate the greater community on astronomy and its connection to the Hawaiian culture, both present and past. The IRTF works with the Imiloa Astronomy Center with development of educational materials, the most recent example being the development of a planetarium program featuring the IRTF. The IRTF staff also works with community-based programs such as Astro-Day, an annual event dedicated to sharing astronomy with the public. Of particular note is a robotics-based program for local high schools that is led by a member of the IRTF staff. This program has led to competition at the national level.