With OpR4 complete, 4MOST now moves into the Survey Programme Validation (SPV) phase, as we move even closer to the start of survey operations!

The Cambridge Astronomical Survey Unit (CASU) also worked to ensure that OpR4 data could be rapidly transformed into usable survey products.

“The OpR4 campaign was intense, but ultimately successful...The 4MOST pipelines are now ready, let the science begin.” - Nic Walton and David Murphy (CASU)

“For me the most impressive thing to see was the enthusiasm, competence, and hard work of everyone involved. We have been planning for this moment for the last decade - everyone was present and keen on making it work” - Jakob Walcher (4MOST Operations Manager)

During this phase, teams worked to ensure that 4MOST can automatically generate Observing Blocks and select targets, while also adapting for live observing conditions at Paranal.

A computer monitor showing the execution sequence scheduling interface at Paranal during OpR4

Operations Rehearsal 4 (OpR4) has now concluded, marking a major milestone towards routine survey operations!

Image: Automatically generated and queued OBs during OpR4 (Credit: Jakob Walcher)

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics

“Seeing on the first night of OpR4 how one [observing block] gets executed, producing data, while the next one already appears by magic in the execution sequence has been hugely satisfying for everyone involved” - Jakob Walcher (4MOST Operations Manager)

OpR4 is a month-long dress rehearsal to test every process of the survey, from live observations of the night sky to science-ready data products, and all of the infrastructure in between!

A picture of Carlos la Fuente launching the first observation for OpR4

After a successful commissioning process, 4MOST has reached the next major milestone before the full survey begins: Operations Rehearsal 4 (OpR4) ✨

Image: Carlos la Fuente launching the first observation for OpR4 (Credit: Jakob Walcher)

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics

Lara’s project, titled “Chronicling the Clouds: Chemodynamics of the Most Massive Dwarf Galaxies”, will use 4MOST to explore how these dwarf galaxies formed, evolved, and interacted over billions of years.

Check out the full press-release here: www.4most.eu/cms/news/202...

A picture of Dr Lara Cullinane.

We are delighted to share that Dr Lara Cullinane has been awarded a prestigious Leibniz Junior Research Group based at the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (@aippotsdam.bsky.social).

Image Credit: AIP/Spikermann

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics

Rechts oben in der Ecke steht in einer weißen Blase "tonspur Wissen“. Am rechten Bildrand ist ein Foto von Matthias Steinmetz zu sehen. Er ist Direktor des Leibniz-Instituts für Astrophysik Potsdam. Das Bild der Person ist schwarz-weiß eingefärbt, um die Konturen der Person beschnitten und zusätzlich weiß umrandet. In einer großen weißen Blase, die mittig-links im Bild platziert ist, steht: "4MOST - Ein neuer Blick ins All. Matthias Steinmetz. Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam ". Der Bildhintergrund ist ein blau-grün eingefärbtes Foto eines Blick ins Weltall mit einer Spiralgalaxie und einem Messkurve.

4MOST - Ein neuer Blick ins All.
Matthias Steinmetz ( @galacticrave.bsky.social ) von @aippotsdam.bsky.social & @unipotsdam.bsky.social zu Gast bei #TonspurWissen, dem #Podcast von @leibniz-gemeinschaft.de & Rheinischer Post.
👁️🔭🌟 pod.fo/e/364503
#Astrophysik #Astronomie #4MOST @4most-eu.bsky.social

A view from the hotel window at night, showing the VLT with orange lasers pointing to the sky from the laser guide star facility.

8. The view from back in the Residencia after a long day’s work, watching the incredible VLT laser guide star facility!

Some more computer screens showing different 4MOST diagnostic software.

7. Back in the control room checking the raw data for any faults.

An image of the VISTA Telescope with the 4MOST instrument mounted on it.

6. A visit to see the 4MOST instrument! “It was like seeing an old friend and a celebrity all in one!”

A sunset image taken from Paranal, overlooking mountains and clouds.

5. A beautiful sunset from Paranal!

An external view of the control room building, next to one of the VLT Unit Telescopes.

4. The 4MOST dayshift control room (next to one of the VLT Unit Telescopes) just after twilight flat calibrations had been taken.

A set of computer screens inside the control room, showing different 4MOST control software.

3. Inside the 4MOST dayshift control room, where raw data are reduced and inspected.

2. Commuting from the ESO Residencia (the astronomers’ hotel) to the observatory.

A Paranal Observatory sign on the way to the observatory

Join Jessica Pilling from the University of Sussex for a day in her life commissioning the 4MOST instrument!

Credit: J. Pilling

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics #telescope #observatory

1. Arrival at Paranal observatory 🔭

"Commissioning has been a really intense and fun experience so far. This new team based model of commissioning telescopes is a fantastic opportunity for young researchers like me and I’m loving every moment of it." - Sam Philipsborn

A view of mountains at Paranal, with the 4MOST facility visible on one of the peaks.

Sam Philipsborn standing next to the 4MOST sign at the VISTA telescope.

Commissioning is well underway at 4MOST! Sam Philipsborn, a PhD student from the University of Sussex, is one of the team members working tirelessly to ensure that 4MOST is performing as expected.

Image Credit: S. Philipsborn

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics #telescope #observatory

The Telescope That Sees 18,000 Colours YouTube video by Chris Pattison

Check out this amazing video from Chris Pattison (@cosmochris.bsky.social) describing 4MOST and our First Light observations!

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics #telescope #observatory

A group photo of the 4MOST Commissioning Team

Meet the team commissioning 4MOST!

Over the next two months, they’ll observe thousands of targets to study how the instrument performs and ensure it meets expectations ahead of full science operations.

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics #telescope #observatory

With three spectrographs, and a hexagonal field-of-view of 4.2 square degrees, 4MOST will gather spectra of over 20 million stars and galaxies during its first five years of surveys.

4MOST in motion!

Mounted on ESO’s VISTA telescope in Chile, this wide-field, fibre-fed spectroscopic facility can observe over 2000 targets at once, capturing their light and splitting it into spectra for analysis.

Video: AIP/A. Saviauk
Audio: LofCosmos

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics

Portsmouth and Southampton scientists help secure the first capture of light in all its colours from cosmic objects

Congratulations to @4most-eu.bsky.social
which has achieved First Light, splitting the light into 18,000 spellbinding colour components. 🎉 Read more about this multi-tasking telescope, which will collect the largest ever spectroscopic sample of supernovae. 🔭
tinyurl.com/2wnw86zd

4MOST will capture thousands of these spectra at once, helping us map the structure and evolution of the Universe!

Each peak and dip reveals what elements are present, how fast the object is moving, and how far away it lies. In this example spectrum of an active galactic nucleus (AGN, the region around a massive black hole) you can see strong emission lines from magnesium (Mg), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (Hγ, Hβ).

A spectrum of an active galactic nucleus showing peaks for Mg, O, and H emission lines. The x-axis is wavelength, and the y-axis is intensity.

When light from a star or galaxy enters one of 4MOST’s 2400 fibres, it is split into its colours and dispersed across the detectors, creating a spectrum, a detailed record of brightness versus wavelength.

Credit: AIP/R. de Jong, CRAL/J.-K. Krogager

#4MOST #astronomy #astrophysics

We’re so lucky to have such an incredible team, and we can’t wait to share our exploration of the Universe with you, 2400 spectra at a time!