skyscanning

Skyscanning is the systematic surveying of the sky to detect, map, and monitor objects and phenomena that occur above the Earth's surface. The term is used across multiple disciplines, including astronomy, meteorology, and space-domain awareness. In astronomy, skyscanning typically refers to wide-area sky surveys that aim to catalog celestial objects and detect transient phenomena. In meteorology, scanning strategies are employed in radar and optical networks to characterize precipitation and atmospheric motions. In space surveillance, skyscanning supports tracking of satellites and debris to assess potential conjunctions.

Techniques involve instruments that move the field of view in controlled patterns to cover large regions of the sky. Common scan strategies include raster sweeps, serpentine or spiral scans, and fixed-field tilts with rotational timing. Wide-field optical telescopes, all-sky cameras, and radio or radar instruments may operate in automated cadences, producing time-series data that can be combined into comprehensive catalogs or event alerts. Data pipelines apply calibration, object recognition, and cross-matching with existing catalogs.

Prominent examples in astronomy are optical sky surveys such as the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the forthcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, while radio-skyscanning has been a longstanding approach with facilities like the Very Large Array. In meteorology, weather radar networks continuously scan the sky to map precipitation structures and wind fields. Space-domain awareness relies on similar scanning principles to track active satellites and debris.

Challenges include weather and daylight limits, light pollution, instrument sensitivity, and the need to manage very large data volumes through automated processing, validation, and coordination among surveys. The field emphasizes reproducibility, standardized data formats, and timely dissemination of discoveries and alerts.