Observation Preparation Tool and Tutorials

The Observation Preparation Tool (OPT) is the primary online tool to prepare VLA observations. Below are the links to the user manual, tutorials, and the online tool. If at any time you have questions regarding correlator resources, calibrators, or creating a scheduling block (SB), please contact us via the NRAO Helpdesk.

OPT Manual

The user manual of the VLA Observation Preparation Tool (OPT) is a comprehensive reference manual for the online tool and all its components.

OPT Tutorials

OPT examples/tutorials showcase the use of the Observation Preparation Tool (OPT), as well as the Resource Catalog Tool (RCT) and the Source Catalog Tool (SCT) to prepare VLA observation Scheduling Blocks (SBs).

OPT Suite Portal

The OPT Suite Portal is used to prepare and submit VLA observation Scheduling Blocks (SBs), set correlator resources through the Resource Catalog Tool (RCT), and search and find calibrators through the Source Catalog Tool (SCT).

Connect with NRAO

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory and Green Bank Observatory are facilities of the U.S. National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.