The Palomar-Quest Digital Synoptic Sky Survey

TL;DR

The Palomar-Quest survey is a digital sky project focused on time-domain astronomy, utilizing real-time data processing to detect transient sources and address challenges of massive data streams.

Contribution

It introduces a real-time pipeline for transient detection and shares early results and lessons learned for synoptic sky surveys.

Findings

Development of a real-time transient detection pipeline

Early detection of transient sources in the sky

Insights into challenges of massive data analysis

Abstract

We describe briefly the Palomar-Quest (PQ) digital synoptic sky survey, including its parameters, data processing, status, and plans. Exploration of the time domain is now the central scientific and technological focus of the survey. To this end, we have developed a real-time pipeline for detection of transient sources. We describe some of the early results, and lessons learned which may be useful for other, similar projects, and time-domain astronomy in general. Finally, we discuss some issues and challenges posed by the real-time analysis and scientific exploitation of massive data streams from modern synoptic sky surveys.