VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV): The public ESO near-IR variability survey of the Milky Way

Abstract

We describe the public ESO near-IR variability survey (VVV) scanning the Milky Way bulge and an adjacent section of the mid-plane where star formation activity is high. The survey will take 1929 h of observations with the 4-m VISTA telescope during 5 year