Igor Andreoni, University of Maryland / NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Title: Seize the night in the era of wide-field optical surveys

We are living in a golden era for optical time-domain astronomy. Wide-field surveys such as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) image most of the observable sky every night, opening a discovery space historically difficult to explore in the optical. The ability to crunch big data efficiently has become key to discovery. I will present results for two science cases in particular that we have directly addressed with ZTF real-time searches. These include binary neutron star mergers, which are great multi-messenger sources, and a rare class of tidal disruption events. Finally, I will present prospects for the upcoming LSST at Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which will generate millions of transient alerts every night and give us an unprecedented view of the dynamic sky.