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The goal of astronomical surveys is to map as much of the sky as possible as quickly as possible. Rather than starting from a specific set of pre-defined targets for detailed study, astronomical surveys represent a statistical census of the cosmos. A confluence of technologies, including large-aperture and wide field-of-view telescopes, CCD cameras, and ever growing computational power, have motivated increasingly ambitious surveys that combine depth, wide areal coverage, and high observing cadence. For example, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), now under construction in Chile, will image the entire southern sky nearly a thousand times over the next decade. LSST will catalog more stars, galaxies, and Solar System objects in its first year of operations than all previous telescopes combined. The rich datasets generated by astronomical surveys are commonly stored as searchable digital databases to be shared with the global scientific community and the general public. Technological and cultural shifts around surveys have transformed the landscape of professional astronomy, and have created new opportunities for education and public outreach.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRIoRXD5OT8