Contents: 1) FUSE Cycle 2, NRA dates set 2) Early Release Observations data available 3) Limitations on coordinated or time-critical observations imposed. 4) Special issue of ApJ Letters 1) FUSE Cycle 2, NRA dates set The dates associated with the FUSE cycle 2 NRA/call for proposals have been finalized. The most important dates are as follows: NRA release date: May 10, 2000 Notice of Intent to propose due: June 12, 2000 Proposals due: July 14, 2000 2) Early Release Observations data available A number of data sets acquired under the "Early Release Observations" program have now been released to the community through the MAST archive at STScI. These include the following observations: Program name Target Name Target Type/Observation purpose ------------ ----------- ------------------- X005 N49 Supernova remnant X015 SK108 O star in SMC (ISM) X017 MRK509 Markarian galaxy (ISM/IGM) X018 SAND_2 WO star in LMC X020 AV232 O7 stars in the Magellanic clouds X020 SK-67D111 O7 stars in the Magellanic clouds X021 BD+31D643 H2 observations X021 HD73882 H2 observations X024 HD5980 Hot star in SMC X025 HD36705 Cool (emission line) star X027 GHOVI03 Galactic Halo, O VI background M101 GD71 White dwarf M101 GD153 White dwarf P101 VIIZw118 Seyfert 1 galaxy P101 PG0804+761 QSO P107 TONS210 QSO P107 MRK876 Seyfert 1 galaxy To retrieve any of these data sets follow the standard MAST retrieval procedures. Instructions can be found at: http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/archive/archive_help.html 3) Limitations on coordinated or time-critical observations imposed. Our ability to maintain the alignment of the four spectrograph channels is driven by changes in spacecraft orientation. In this environment, any observations that must be performed at a particular time can drive the scheduling for days on either side of the planned observation. Thus, coordinated and time critical observations are disruptive to general scheduling. On April 6th, the FUSE project invoked a temporary policy placing limitations on such observations until at least July 31, 2000. Only in cases deemed to have "the highest scientific priority" or which flow naturally into ongoing scheduling will be accommodated during this time. For further details see: http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/users/coordobs.html 4) Special issue of ApJ Letters A total of 21 papers based on the "Early Release Observations" have been submitted by the FUSE team to the Astrophysical Journal Letters. These papers will appear as a special issue late this summer. Preprints of accepted FUSE papers are being submitted to the astro-ph preprint server. Links to them can also be found on the FUSE web site: http://fuse.pha.jhu.edu/papers/papers.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Observer's Electronic Newsletter is published by the FUSE project and is aimed at the FUSE user community. Editor: B-G Andersson, FUSE Guest Investigator Officer. The FUSE Project is managed by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Astrophysical Sciences in Baltimore, MD, for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The FUSE Principal Investigator is Dr. Warren Moos, the FUSE Project Manager at JHU is Mr. J.B. Joyce, and the NASA Project Scientist for FUSE is Dr. George Sonneborn. Further information about the FUSE Guest Investigator Program can be obtained from: Dr. George Sonneborn; sonneborn@stars.gsfc.nasa.gov ------------------------------------------------------------------------------