Keck Infrared Transient Survey I: Survey Description and Data Release 1

Understand

We present the Keck Infrared Transient Survey (KITS), a NASA Key Strategic Mission Support program to obtain near-infrared (NIR) spectra of astrophysical transients of all types, and its first data release, consisting of 105 NIR spectra of 50 transients.

• Such a data set is essential as we enter a new era of IR astronomy with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman).
• NIR spectral templates will be essential to search JWST images for stellar explosions of the first stars and to plan an effective Roma} SN Ia cosmology survey, both key science objectives for mission success.
• Between 2022 February and 2023 July, we systematically obtained 274 NIR spectra of 146 astronomical transients, representing a significant increase in the number of available NIR spectra in the literature.