Virtual observatory

Virtual Observatory is a name for an infrastructure that provides online astronomical data of different observatories under a uniform interface. Thus, a simple comparison of observations in different wavelength regions or from different time points should be made possible mainly.

• 3.1 sources
• 3.2 more virtual observatories

History

In astronomy, objects with different telescopes have always been observed in different wavelength regions at different times. This led among other things to different names for the same object. To make the various types of information, for example, the brightness of an object comparable, there is the SIMBAD database at the Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg (CDS ), which is available online since 1981. Since 1999, the Aladin database, also operated by the CDS, with the shots from different data sources by specifying the object or astronomical coordinates are queried. Since circa 2001, there are numerous national and international initiatives to extend similar databases into a "virtual observatory ".

Special virtual observatories

International Virtual Observatory Alliance ( IVOA )

The IVOA was formed in 2002 to promote cooperation between national and international virtual observatories and to create appropriate tools, systems and organizational structures. She has (as of September 2007) following 16 members:

Euro - VO

Euro - VO is again a collaboration between ESO, the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as institutions from Italy, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany.

Precursor of this project are ASTROVIRTEL (2000 - 2002) and the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory (2000 - 2004).