ALFOSC and StanCam with FASU in between (foto R. Rekola)

The ALFOSC Page The Alhambra Faint Object Spectrograph and Camera, ALFOSC, built at the Astronomical Observatory (AO) at the Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics (NBIfAFG), is the property of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (IAA), Granada, Spain. The NOT has an agreement with the IAA and AO for the loan of ALFOSC. We at NOT are extremely grateful to the IAA and its Director Dr. Rafael Rodrigo, and the AO for the loan of this instrument and the collaboration it has established. All publications resulting from or containing ALFOSC data should acknowledge the Instituto de Astrofisico de Andalucia and the Astronomical Observatory, Niels Bohr Institute for Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics in a format described here. ALFOSC has a field of view of 6.4x6.4 arcminutes in imaging mode, and can also be used for low/medium resolution spectroscopy, and polarimetry.

ALFOSC setup Detector,   shutter,   read-out times,   timing accuracy   Imaging filters,   grisms,   slits,   2nd-order blocking filters,   Holographic diffusers List of available optical elements, response of the standard filters Fixed instrument setup, current instrument setup	Special observing modes Polarimetry: imaging- and spectro-polarimetry, WeDoWo Multi-Object Spectroscopy (MOS) Fast spectroscopy: horizontal vs. vertical spectra Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector (ADC)
Count rates and S/N UBVRI zero-point monitoring Spectroscopic countrates How to estimate S/N for polarimetry Exposure time calculator	Run preparation Create NOT TCS target catalogue Visibility plots ALFOSC observing-script generator ALFOSC seeing data
Focusing and target acquisition Focusing the telescope,   filter focus offsets Placing your object on a slit Following the parallactic angle Aligning the slit with features in a field	User guides ALFOSC Sequencer documentation,   Known software problems and their suggested solution Postprocessing / QuickLook reduction, FIES for ALFOSC user NOT/ALFOSC Observers Cookbook
Calibrations and reduction Standard stars: photometry ,   polarimetry,   spectroscopy Arc lamps and maps,   typical exposure times for lamps Bias frames,   imaging flats,   Field of view Reducing dual amplifier imaging data using IRAF (old controller data) A method to correct 2nd-order contamination in spectra Observing/reduction steps to correct fringing in spectra Improved method for flatfielding blue spectra	Miscellaneous Detailed info on ALFOSC FITS headers Acknowledging ALFOSC in publications ALFOSC instrument layout,   extract from DFOSC manual Efficiencies of DFOSC optics (ALFOSCs twin) Possible spectroscopic upgrades: VPH grisms, etc. Staff pages (Staff only!)