# The SkyMapper Transient Survey

## TL;DR

The SkyMapper Transient Survey uses a dedicated 1.3m telescope to systematically discover and analyze supernovae and other transient events in the southern sky, aiming to improve understanding of cosmic expansion.

## Contribution

This paper introduces the SkyMapper Transient Survey's operational strategy, software pipeline, and initial results, highlighting its focus on low-redshift supernovae for cosmological studies.

## Key findings

- Survey covers ~2000 deg2 with ≤5 day cadence
- First transient discoveries and data access established
- Performance simulations validate survey effectiveness

## Abstract

The SkyMapper 1.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory has now begun regular operations. Alongside the Southern Sky Survey, a comprehensive digital survey of the entire southern sky, SkyMapper will carry out a search for supernovae and other transients. The search strategy, covering a total footprint area of ~2000 deg2 with a cadence of $\leq 5$ days, is optimised for discovery and follow-up of low-redshift type Ia supernovae to constrain cosmic expansion and peculiar velocities. We describe the search operations and infrastructure, including a parallelised software pipeline to discover variable objects in difference imaging; simulations of the performance of the survey over its lifetime; public access to discovered transients; and some first results from the Science Verification data.