Virtual Observatory: From Concept to Implementation

S. G. Djorgovski and R. Williams (2005) Virtual Observatory: From Concept to Implementation. In: Science with Wavelengths on Human Scales. ASPCS, vol. 3xx. ASPCS.

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Abstract

We review the origins of the Virtual Observatory (VO) concept, and the current status of the efforts in this field. VO is the response of the astronomical community to the challenges posed by the modern massive and complex data sets. It is a framework in which information technology is harnessed to organize, maintain, and explore the rich information content of the exponentially growing data sets, and to enable a qualitatively new science to be done with them. VO will become a complete, open, distributed, web-based framework for astronomy of the early 21st century. A number of significant efforts worldwide are now striving to convert this vision into reality. The technological and methodological challenges posed by the information-rich astronomy are also common to many other fields. We see a fundamental change in the way all science is done, driven by the information technology revolution.

EPrint Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	We thank the numerous friends and collaborators who developed the ideas behind the Virtual Observatory, and made it a reality; they include Charles Alcock, Robert Brunner, Dave De Young, Francoise Genova, Jim Gray, Bob Hanisch, George Helou, Wil O’Mullane, Ray Plante, Tom Prince, Arnold Rots, Alex Szalay, and many, many others, too numerous to list here, for which we apologize. We also acknowledge a partial support from the NSF grants AST-0122449, AST-0326524, AST-0407448, and DMS-0101360, NASA contract NAG5-9482, and the Ajax Foundation.
Subjects:	All Records
ID Code:	123
Deposited By:	Sarah M. Emery
Deposited On:	15 February 2006
Record Number:	CaltechCACR:2005.114
Official Persistent URL:	http://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechCACR:2005.114
Usage Policy:	You are granted permission for individual, educational, research and non-commercial reproduction, distribution, display and performance of this work in any format.

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