The Weizmann Fast Astronomical Survey Telescope (W-FAST): System Overview

A relatively unexplored phase space of transients and stellar variability is that second sub-second timescales. We describe a new optical observatory operating in the Negev desert Israel, with 55 cm aperture, field view 26 × (≈7 deg2) equipped high frame rate, low read noise, CMOS camera. The system can observe at rate up to 90 HZ (full frame), while nominally observations are conducted 10–25 Hz. data, generated over 6 Gbits s−1 25 Hz, analyzed real time. fully robotic capable autonomously collecting data on few thousand stars each night. present overview, performance metrics, science objectives, some first results, e.g., detection glints from geosynchronous satellites, reported Nir et al. 2020.