Applying for Observing Time

Telescope time for ESO telescopes on Paranal and La Silla is allocated twice a year in periods of 6 months. Allocation periods run from 1 October through 31 March, and from 1 April through 30 September. Applications for observing time on ESO telescopes may only be submitted via the p1 interface (instructions can be found here).


You cannot submit proposals for the regular cycles now.
Please wait for the next announcement of observing time
which will be released end of August 2021.

For your convenience you can look at the historic period 108 CfP.
The Late Breaking News page contains updates regarding proposal submission.

 

Information about Observing Programmes

Special Call for Period 107

Following the suspension of the regular Call for Proposals for ESO Period 107 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and as previously announced, ESO is issuing a Special Call (hereafter SC107) for the submission of projects consisting of novel and urgent observations that must be executed during P107 (1 April  - 30 September 2021).

The spirit of SC107 is to offer ESO's community the opportunity to take the lead on (or to maintain its leadership) on new, important scientific cases, without having to miss out on them because of the pandemic.

SC107 proposals can be submitted as of 1 April 2021.

Detailed information and guidelines related to SC107 can be found here. Proposals must abide by the anonymisation rules. Users will be able to submit proposals any time and only for observations that must be carried out during P107 (1 April  - 30 September 2021). Note that not all instruments may be offered due to the current restrictions to Science Operations. Please check the LPO News webpage.


Requests for Period 108 and subsequent semesters must be submitted through the regular channelswhereas requests for transient events must be submitted through the DDT channel.

Director's Discretionary Time Proposals

Up to 5% of the general observing time may be used for Director's Discretionary Time Proposals (DDT proposals). For detailed information about DDT proposals see the separate DDT Proposal page. Proposals must be submitted via the p1 interface (instructions can be found here) and must abide by the anonymisation rules. Note that not all instruments may be offered due to the current restrictions to Science Operations. Please check the LPO News webpage.

DDT proposals for Period 107 can be submitted as of 1 April 2021  


For sudden astronomical events requiring urgent or even immediate observations, detailed requests can be submitted. A detailed description of ESO's "Target of Opportunity" POLICY (ToO) is given in a separate document. Please read it carefully before submitting any ToO.