Abstract

The VLTI has been operating for about 5 years using the VINCI instrument first, and later MIDI. In October 2005 (Period 76) the first Science Operations with the AMBER instrument started, with 14 Open Time proposals in the observing queues submitted by the astronomical community. AMBER, the near-infrared/red focal instrument of the VLTI, operates in the bands J, H, and, K (i.e. 1.0 to 2.5 micrometers) with three beams, thus enabling the use of closure phase techniques. Light was fed from the 8m Unit Telescopes (UT). The Instrument was offered with the Low Resolution Mode (JHK) and the Medium Resolution Mode in K-band on the UTs. We will present how the AMBER VLTI Science Operations currently are performed and integrated into the general Paranal Science Operations, using the extensive experience of Service Mode operations performed by the Paranal Science operations and in particular applying the know-how learned from the two years of MIDI Science Operations. We will also be presenting the operational statistics from these first ever Open Time observations with AMBER.