Overview

This Focus Meeting within two days, August 4 and 9, will promote the complementarity of large astronomical surveys and astronomy done with small telescopes (up to 2 m diameter). It concerns, in particular, the application of big data methods to modern and past sky surveys, small telescope data archives. Contemporary and prospective sky surveys (Gaia, TESS, LSST, etc.), radar, space-borne data allow using these highly accurate measurements for calibrating data measured at the small telescopes, revealing their potential in time-domain planetary sciences. On the other hand, the small telescopes can be used to complement the scientific output of the sky surveys, e.g., to follow up the newly discovered Solar System objects and exoplanetary systems, expand their physical characterization to different wavebands and properties. Extension of observational histories will positively affect checking the adequacy of various physical and dynamical models. The big data methods applied to the sky surveys and small telescope archives have the potential in detecting new objects, advancing classification, and data analysis. Data mining sky surveys, astrophotographic plates, and the small telescope archives should substantially increase the completeness of search for the time-domain events. Sharing this experience and advanced observational techniques will enlarge efficiency and facilitate using the small telescopes in conducting the present-day research in Astronomy.