The Status and Plan of KMTNet Operation

A total of 10,317 hours of the KMTNet telescope time were allocated for the predefined science programs, and 7,765 hours have been used for science exposures in Chile, Australia and South Africa last year. The success rate of science observation has increased from 70.7% to 75.3%, and the system operation rate has also increased from 97.6% to 99.6%. There were many improvements in mechanical parts of the dome structure and telescope system, and newly installed filter driers of the CCD camera increased the stability of the system by preventing contamination of oil in the gas line in advance. In order to prepare for the time domain astronomy and multi messenger astronomy era, a pilot program was designed and is now being tested. It targets for fast follow-up observations of optical transient events, however it runs during twilight times only so it does not interrupt any granted science program. A total of 32 SCI papers were published using the system in 2018 and it is a good indication of the high science performance of KMTNet. The selection process of the next observation programs starting from October 2020 and its timeline will be discussed in this meeting.