Always ready: how the new SOXS instrument will capture fleeting events

Such transient events must be observed quickly, sometimes within just hours or minutes, before they change or simply end. This means astronomers don’t have to coordinate simultaneous observations with different telescopes, something hard to do when observing transient events. The SOXS instrument, which will stay alert to observe unpredictable events on ESO’s New Technology Telescope. Credit: Pietro SchipaniBlink and you miss itNot all transient events are equal, though. CalçadaAlways shooting at the sky: a novel approachTo capture transient events when most needed, scientists require a good instrument in a telescope with an extremely flexible schedule.