Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Rd, Chaoyang 100101, Beijing, China.
School of Astronomy and Space Sciences University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20A Datun Rd, Chaoyang 100101, Beijing, China.
An Acad Bras Cienc. 2021 Apr 23;93(suppl 1):e20200628. doi: 10.1590/0001-3765202120200628. eCollection 2021.
SiTian is an ambitious ground-based all-sky optical monitoring project, developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The concept is an integrated network of dozens of 1-m-class telescopes deployed partly in China and partly at various other sites around the world. The main science goals are the detection, identification and monitoring of optical transients (such as gravitational wave events, fast radio bursts, supernovae) on the largely unknown timescales of less than 1 day; SiTian will also provide a treasure trove of data for studies of AGN, quasars, variable stars, planets, asteroids, and microlensing events. To achieve those goals, SiTian will scan at least 10,000 square deg of sky every 30 min, down to a detection limit of $V \approx 21$ mag. The scans will produce simultaneous light-curves in 3 optical bands. In addition, SiTian will include at least three 4-m telescopes specifically allocated for follow-up spectroscopy of the most interesting targets. We plan to complete the installation of 72 telescopes by 2030 and start full scientific operations in 2032.
四天王是一个雄心勃勃的地基全天空光学监测项目，由中国科学院开发。该项目的理念是由数十台 1 米级望远镜组成的综合网络，部分部署在中国，部分部署在世界各地的其他站点。主要科学目标是探测、识别和监测光学瞬变体（如引力波事件、快速射电暴、超新星），这些瞬变体的时间尺度在不到 1 天的时间内是未知的；四天王还将为活动星系核、类星体、变星、行星、小行星和微引力透镜事件的研究提供丰富的数据。为了实现这些目标，四天王将每 30 分钟扫描至少 10000 平方度的天空，探测极限为 V 约为 21 等。扫描将在 3 个光学波段同时产生光变曲线。此外，四天王还将至少包括三台 4 米望远镜，专门用于对最有趣目标进行后续光谱观测。我们计划在 2030 年前完成 72 台望远镜的安装，并在 2032 年开始全面科学运行。
