CFHT's Community Survey

CFHT has initiated a process to design, implement, and carry out an ambitious scientific community-led survey that could be started as early as 2027 or 2028 and last up to 5 or 6 years. The intent is to design a survey (or surveys) that will be carried out with MegaCam and/or Wenaokeao (co-mount of ESPaDOnS and SPIRou), serve the widest possible community of CFHT users, and have a significant scientific impact and/or legacy value. CFHT remains open to compelling ideas that require the use of WIRCam and SITELLE even though the current Strategic Plan includes decommissioning both instruments at the end of semester 2026B. The final survey will be designed by members of the CFHT community and may combine 2 or more proposals or scientific themes.

In 2024, CFHT issued a Call for Ideas and invited individuals and teams to submit ideas. The CFHT Scientific Advisory Committee reviewed the ideas proposed and then decided to broaden the invitation to other communities, even those which currently do not have access to CFHT, with the goal of building and expanding on the initial submissions.

On February 27, 2025, CFHT hosted a Zoom meeting to present CFHT, its instruments and modes of operation, and the context for this Community Survey. This was followed by a Q&A session. The meeting was well attended and around 60 participants joined the presentation. The recording of the Zoom meeting is available on YouTube. The slides include technical notes (such as limiting magnitudes) and additional information.

This community survey will follow the current round of CFHT Large Programs that are executed in 2025 and 2026.

Stay tuned for the upcoming Call for Proposals.

Useful resources: