From Sky to Science: Time Domain Astronomy with the ILMT Survey

Abstract

The PyLMT transient detection pipeline has been operational since November 2023 and has detected ∼10,000 transients and variable objects in ILMT images in near real time. The survey has enabled the discovery and characterisation of a range of bright and faint optical transients. The detected population spans a broad diversity of astrophysical phenomena, including supernovae, variable stars, active galactic nuclei (AGN) variability, and Solar System objects such as asteroids and comets. We provide a concise overview of the detection of a variety of transient and variable classes identified with the ILMT, emphasising the survey's potential contributions to a broad class of astrophysical sources. We highlight representative science cases, including supernovae, AGNs, variable stars, and asteroids, to demonstrate the scientific potential of the ILMT survey.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{misra2026from,
  title = {{From Sky to Science: Time Domain Astronomy with the ILMT Survey}},
  author = {Kuntal Misra and Bhavya Ailawadhi and Talat Akhunov and Monalisa Dubey and Naveen Dukiya and Sara Filali and Paul Hickson and Priyanshi Kumari and Gokul Singh Mehra and Vibhore Negi and Kumar Pranshu and Jean Surdej and Sarvesh Kumar Yadav},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.14827},
  eprint = {2610.14827},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.14827},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - From Sky to Science: Time Domain Astronomy with the ILMT Survey
AU  - Kuntal Misra
AU  - Bhavya Ailawadhi
AU  - Talat Akhunov
AU  - Monalisa Dubey
AU  - Naveen Dukiya
AU  - Sara Filali
AU  - Paul Hickson
AU  - Priyanshi Kumari
AU  - Gokul Singh Mehra
AU  - Vibhore Negi
AU  - Kumar Pranshu
AU  - Jean Surdej
AU  - Sarvesh Kumar Yadav
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/10
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.14827
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.14827
AB  - The PyLMT transient detection pipeline has been operational since November 2023 and has detected ∼10,000 transients and variable objects in ILMT images in near real time. The survey has enabled the discovery and characterisation of a range of bright and faint optical transients. The detected population spans a broad diversity of astrophysical phenomena, including supernovae, variable stars, active galactic nuclei (AGN) variability, and Solar System objects such as asteroids and comets. We provide a concise overview of the detection of a variety of transient and variable classes identified with the ILMT, emphasising the survey's potential contributions to a broad class of astrophysical sources. We highlight representative science cases, including supernovae, AGNs, variable stars, and asteroids, to demonstrate the scientific potential of the ILMT survey.
ER  -

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