Exploiting SkyMapper for Galactic Astrophysics

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The SkyMapper telescope will commence a digital imaging survey of the entire southern hemisphere sky in the second quarter of 2014. This project aims to exploit the SkyMapper survey data to discover and characterise the oldest and most metal-poor stars in our Galaxy, constraining both the origin of the chemical elements and the star formation processes that occurred during the initial stages of our Galaxy's formation. At the same time the project will use SkyMapper and other imaging data to increase understanding of the formation of the Galactic halo and of our nearest galaxy neighbours, the Magellanic Clouds.