Hello!

1. Hello!

2. Virtual Observatories Ajit Kembhavi IUCAA, Pune Anand Deshpande Persistent Systems, Pune Funded by the Ministry of ICT and Persistent

3. Data Storage and Retrieval The Astronomer Vermeer 1632-1675 The Library of Alexandria 3rd Century BC

4. The Data Avalanche Immense amounts of data are being produced by large telescopes using large area detectors. Terabytesof data are now available, andPetabyteswill soon be available from frequent all sky imaging. Vast databases are also being produced throughsimulations.

5. Wavelength Coverage, Resolution The data spans the electromagnetic spectrum from the radio to the gamma-ray region. Obtaining, analysing and interpreting the data in different wavebands and at different resolutions involves highly specialised instruments and techniques. The astronomer needs new holistic tools for using this wealth of data.

7. Stars in the Milky Way

8. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

9. Virtual Observatories • Provide tools for data analysis, visualization and mining. • Develop interoperability concepts to make different databases seamless. • Manage vast data resources and provide these on-line to astronomers and other users. Empower astronomers, regardless of their location and circumstances, by providing sophisticated query and computational tools, and computing grids for producing new science. New Science Initiatives

10. IVOA Technology Initiatives The IVOA has identified six major technical initiatives to fulfill the scientific goal of the VO concept: Registries, Data models, Uniform Content Descriptors, Data Access Layers, VO Query Language, VOTable

11. REGISTRIEScollect metadata about data resources and information services into a queryable database. The registry is distributed. UNIFORM CONTENT DESCRIPTORS: These will provide the common language for for metadata definitions for the VO. VOTable: This is an XML mark-up standard for astronomical tables.

12. Virtual Observatory -India A collaboration between IUCAA and PSPL, with a grant from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

13. IUCAA

14. Persistent Systems Pvt. Ltd., Pune

15. Virtual Observatory - India

16. Data Archives and Mirrors at VO-I SDSS 2Mass 2DFGRS 2QZ FIRST NVSS Chandra Vizier, Aladin, ADS

17. Fast ComputingIUCAA Resource • Eight alpha server ES-45 nodes, each • with 4 processors, each node with 8 • GB RAM • Fast, low latency interconnect • Memory Channel Architecture • Trucluster clustering environment • (Tru64 Unix, DecMPI, openMP)

18. VO-India Software Projects VOPlot Visualizer for catalogue data VOTable C++ Parser VOTable Streaming writer Data Converters Fits Browser User interfaces and query tools Applications beyond astronomy All tools have web-based and stand alone versions

19. The VOPlot Tool A VO-I + CDS collaboration First conceived as a web-based tool for Vizier Then integrated with Aladin VOPlot is now also a stand alone system It has been integrated with many data bases VOPLot VOPLot3DVOMegaPLot Sonali Kale, K.D. Balaji, Nilesh Urunkar et al

20. Colour-magnitude diagram parallax

24. Catalog Data Interface Tool A tool to query catalog data. Simple, customizable, graphic interface. Not specific to type of data or catalogue. SQL queries for expert users. VO tools available for analysis: VOPlot, Aladin,SIMBAD, NED, VOStat Jayant Gupchup, Mohasin Sheikh

25. Data Organization and Architecture

26. On-the-fly GUI Back

27. Results in Aladin Back

28. SDSS J125637-022452 High proper motion L-subdwarf Optical spectra of mixed late M and mid L type Only the third L subdwarf known

29. Positions 1986-2000 Proper motion 0.617 arcsec / yr

30. Virtual Observatory - India -TNG New Projects: VOStat, VOEvent Rolling sky maps (think Google maps)… Grid computing for morphology… Visualization and Analysis… Theoretical VO… A collaboration between IUCAA and PSPL, with a grant from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology

31. Thank You

32. Virtual Observatory-India Ajit Kembhavi IUCAA Anand Deshpande Persistent Systems Funded by the Ministry of ICT and Persistent

33. Data Explosion Peter Quinn

34. Science Initiatives • Many IVOA projects have active Science Working Groups consisting of astronomers from a broad cross-section of the community representing all wavelengths. • The focus here is to develop a clear perception of the scientific requirements of a VO. • Projects within the working groups will develop new capabilities for VO based analysis. • This will enable the community to create new research programs and to publish their data and research in a more pervasive and scientifically useful manner.

36. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

37. VOPlot - Introduction • Tool for visualizing astronomical data. • Developed in JAVA • Plots data available in the VOTable format. • Available as stand alone version and web based version (integrated with VizieR). • Uses Ptplot 5.2, a 2D data plotter and histogram tool implemented in Java.

38. Results in VOPlot Back

39. Query using a Form Back

40. Query using SQL Directly Back

45. REGISTRIES: These collect metadata about data resources and information services into a queryable database. The registry is distributed. A variety of industry standards are being investigated. DATA MODELS: This initiative aims to define the common elements of astronomical data structures and to provide a framework to describe their relationships. UNIFORM CONTENT DESCRIPTORS: These will provide the common language for for metadata definitions for the VO.

46. DATA ACCESS LAYER:This provides a standardized access mechanisms to distributed data objects. Initial prototypes are a Cone Search Protocol and a simple Image Access Protocol. VO QUERY LANGUAGE:This will provide a standard query language which will go beyond the limitations of SQL. VOTable: This is an XML mark-up standard for astronomical tables.

47. Astronomical Data Explosion ~ 100 Gb/night P. Quinn