Searching for Variable Stars Using the Large Array Survey Telescope (LAST)

TL;DR

This paper presents a new variability report generator for the LAST telescope, automating the detection and reporting of variable stars in wide-field sky surveys, enhancing efficiency in variable star identification.

Contribution

Introduction of a novel, automated variability report generator tailored for the LAST telescope, improving detection and reporting of variable stars in large sky surveys.

Findings

Effective identification of candidate variable stars from LAST data

Automated generation of visual and tabular variability reports

Overview of LAST's design and data workflow

Abstract

This paper introduces a novel variability report generator developed for the Large Array Survey Telescope (LAST), a cost-effective multi-purpose telescope array conducting a wide survey of the variable sky in the visible-light spectrum. Designed to automate variability detection, the report generator identifies candidate variable stars by employing adjustable thresholds to detect periodic and non-periodic variables. The program outputs a visual and tabular photometric report for each candidate variable source from a given LAST sub-image. Functioning as a whitepaper, this document also provides a concise overview of LAST, discussing its design, data workflow, and variability search performance.