Astronomical surveys

An astronomical survey is a general map or image of a region of the sky which lacks a specific observational target. Alternatively, an astronomical survey may comprise a set of many images or spectra of objects which share a common type or feature. Surveys are often restricted to one band of the electromagnetic spectrum due to instrumental limitations, although multiwavelength surveys can be made by using multiple detectors, each sensitive to a different bandwidth. Surveys have generally been performed as part of the production of an astronomical catalog.

Sky surveys, unlike targeted observation of a specific object, allow astronomers to catalogue celestial objects and perform statistical analyses on them without making prohibitively lengthy observations. In some cases, an astronomer interested in a particular object will find that survey images are sufficient to make telescope time entirely unnecessary.

Surveys also help astronomers obtain observation time on larger, more powerful telescopes. If the astronomer can show a telescope scheduling committee that previous observations support his or her hypothesis, he or she is more likely to be given a chance to make more detailed observations.

The wide scope of surveys makes them ideal for astronomers searching for moving foreground objects such as asteroids and comets. An astronomer can compare existing survey images to current observations to locate targets which are in motion; this task can even be performed automatically using image analysis software. Similarly, images of the same object taken by different surveys can be compared to detect transient events such as variable stars.

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