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arXiv · 2502.00564

The 4m International Liquid Mirror Telescope: Construction, operation, and science

Jean Surdej·Paul Hickson·Kuntal Misra·Dipankar Banerjee·Bhavya Ailawadhi·Talat Akhunov·Ermanno Borra·Monalisa Dubey·Naveen Dukiya·Sara Filali·Joschua Hellemeier·Manisha Kharayat·Brajesh Kumar·Hitesh Kumar·Mukesh Kumar·T. S. Kumar·Priyanshi Kumari·Vibhore Negi·Anna Pospieszalska-Surdej·Sarath Prabhavu·Bikram Pradhan·Kumar Pranshu·Himanshu Rawat·B. Krishna Reddy·Arun Sasidharan Pillai·Khushal Singh·Suzanne Tremblay·Saakshi Turakhia·Sahaana Vijay
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Abstract

The International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT) project was motivated by the need for an inexpensive 4 metre diameter optical telescope that could be devoted entirely to astronomical surveys. Its scientific programmes include the detection and study of transients, variable objects, asteroids, comets, space debris and low surface brightness galaxies. To this end, a collaboration was formed between the Institute of Astrophysics and Geophysics (Li\`ege University, Belgium), several Canadian universities (University of British Columbia, Laval University, University of Montreal, University of Toronto, York University, University of Victoria) and the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES, India). After several years of design work in Belgium and construction in India on the ARIES Devasthal site, the telescope saw its first light on 29 April 2022. Its commissioning phase lasted from May 2022 until June 2023 (beginning of the monsoon). The ILMT was inaugurated on 21 March 2023 and has been in regular operation since October 2023. The telescope continuously observes the sky passing at the zenith using the SDSS g', r', and i' filters. This paper describes the ILMT, its operation, performance and shows some initial results.

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Jean Surdej, Paul Hickson, Kuntal Misra, Dipankar Banerjee, Bhavya Ailawadhi, Talat Akhunov, Ermanno Borra, Monalisa Dubey, Naveen Dukiya, Sara Filali, Joschua Hellemeier, Manisha Kharayat, Brajesh Kumar, Hitesh Kumar, Mukesh Kumar, T. S. Kumar, Priyanshi Kumari, Vibhore Negi, Anna Pospieszalska-Surdej, Sarath Prabhavu, Bikram Pradhan, Kumar Pranshu, Himanshu Rawat, B. Krishna Reddy, Arun Sasidharan Pillai, Khushal Singh, Suzanne Tremblay, Saakshi Turakhia, Sahaana Vijay. 2025-02-01. The 4m International Liquid Mirror Telescope: Construction, operation, and science. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452667

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