IMPORTANT NOTICE (11 July 2025 11:00CEST): we are currently experiencing a major issue with our p2 software that prevents the creation of new Observation Blocks, so that Phase 2 submissions cannot be made at this stage. We are actively investigating this issue and hope to restore p2 to its normal state as soon as possible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience.
UPDATE (11 July 2025 13:00CEST): the bug has been corrected. Please refresh the p2 page in your browser and make sure that you are using version 2.22.6 (or above) of the interface as indicated in the top-left corner of the page.
Phase 2 Observing Preparation
Phase 2 is the step when users of ESO's telescope facilities prepare for their observations. The observation preparation differs slightly for users who have been granted Service Mode observations versus observers who will travel to the telescope for their Visitor Mode observations or who have time allocated in designated Visitor Mode.
The backbone of all observations are the Observation Blocks (OBs) which one prepares with the Phase 2 web-based application p2 for Paranal and using p2ls for observations on La Silla. PIs of the approved observing runs can delegate the Phase 2 tasks by declaring their Phase 2 delegate(s) in the User Portal.
Help and instructions for Phase 2 preparations is offered by different teams, depending on the nature of the observations, via web pages and email contact. Please choose one of the following links:
- Service Mode observation guidelines (VLT, VLTI), contact: User Support Department
- Paranal (designated) Visitor Mode guidelines (VLT and VLTI), on-site info for visiting astronomers. Email contact: Paranal Science Operations
- La Silla Visitor Mode guidelines (NTT, 3.6m and 2.2m), on-site info for visiting astronomers. Email contact: La Silla Science Operations