On the organization of CONT17

Abstract

The Continuous Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Campaign 2017 (CONT17) was observed from November 28 to December 12, 2017 and featured three independent observing networks. Two legacy S/X networks of nominally 14 stations each observed in parallel for the full 15 days of the campaign. One of them was made possible in large part by the participation of the ten-station very long baseline array network of the long baseline observatory. Furthermore, for the 5-day period from December 4 to 8, 2017, a six-station broadband network continuously recorded VLBI global observing system data. The different networks will help probe the accuracy of the VLBI estimates of the Earth orientation parameters and investigate possible network biases. We describe the organizational efforts undertaken to realize CONT17, including the analysis of resources such as recording media, electronic data transfer, and correlation, the assignment of stations to the three networks, and source selection and schedule writing.