The La Silla-QUEST Variablity Survey

The QUEST Variability Survey studies variable astronomical objects, particularly Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), periodic variable stars, and Supernova. The survey utilizes the 40” ESO Schmidt Telescope at the LaSilla Observatory of the European Southern Observatory in Chile  with the new large area QUEST camera, a mossaic of 112 CCD’s covering the full field of view of the telescope (approximately 4 x 4 square degrees), built at Yale University and Indiana University. The camera is installed at the prime focus of the ESO Schmidt Telescope and commissioned in early 2009. The Survey is expected to cover about 1/3 of the full sky (about 15000 square degrees) repeated with roughly 4-day candence.

 

Recent Publications

Rabinowitz, David, et al. “The Peculiar Photometric Properties of 2010 WG9: A Slowly Rotating Trans-Neptunian Object from the Oort Cloud.” The Astronomical Journal 146.1 (2013): 17.

Zinn, R., et al. “La Silla QUEST RR Lyrae Star Survey: Region I.” arXiv preprint arXiv:1312.1602 (2013). (accepted to ApJ) (Link)

Rabinowitz, David, et al. “The La Silla–QUEST Kuiper Belt Survey.” The Astronomical Journal 144.5 (2012): 140. (Link)

C. Baltay, et al. “The La Silla-QUEST Southern Hemisphere Variability Survey.” The European Southern Observatory Messenger (2012) (Link)

Hadjiyska, Ellie, et al. “La Silla-QUEST Variability Survey in the Southern Hemisphere.” Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 7.S285 (2011): 324-326. (Link)

Rabinowitz, David, et al. “Discovery and Characterization of an Extremely Deep-Eclipsing Cataclysmic Variable: LSQ172554. 8-643839.” The Astrophysical Journal 732.1 (2011): 51.