The LSST will carry out a six-band multi-epoch optical survey over half the Celestial Sphere using a dedicated 8.4-meter telescope, allowing major advances in areas ranging from the study of near-Earth asteroids to the nature of Dark Energy. The Science Collaborations are autonomous entities that will work closely with the LSST construction project on areas from cadence design to commissioning. LSST was ranked #1 by the Astronomy and Astrophysics 2010 Decadal Survey for large ground-based projects. Science operations will begin six years after the start of construction.
Because we intend this facility and its database to serve as a resource for the whole community, we want your input on the planning to date along with ideas for extending the work already done.
Join the mission! First, review the following materials which detail our current plan and findings:
Étendue of current and planned survey telescopes and cameras on a log scale. Some are dedicated 100% to surveys ("Survey"). Others could have higher effective étendue if used 100% in survey mode or if duplicated ("Max"). Above an étendue of 200-300 m2 deg2 it becomes possible to undertake a single comprehensive multi-band survey of the entire visible sky serving most of the science opportunities, rather than multiple special surveys in series. The LSST will open up a qualitatively new regime in survey science.
Science Requirements Document (May 13, 2010) [PDF 464KB]
Let us know whether these basic requirements are suitable for the program you would like to carry out. Look particularly at the cadence of observations. We are especially interested in your requirements for data products — what should the LSST pipelines and database provide in order to enable the science that you want to do?
