Program: GS-2021A-FT-107

We request 2 hours of Gemini South/Flamingos2 Fast Turnaround observations of ASKAP J052348-712552: a newly-discovered highly-variable and highly-polarized radio source in the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud. The radio properties of this source are so far unique in this survey, and are suggestive of an extreme object like a pulsar with over 90% pulse width (compared to 1-10% for most sources) or a flaring substellar object a factor of at least 10 brighter in the radio than other sources at this frequency. Or it could be some as-yet undiscovered source type. While there are currently, no coincident optical/IR sources from prior surveys, those surveys were conducted more than 10 years ago. With the requested observations we can rule out any optical/IR sources identified from prior surveys through their proper motions, or identify and begin to characterize an even fainter optical/IR source which would have even more extreme properties. These observations will provide the missing piece from a more complete picture of this intriguing source.