Armchair Cosmology: Djorgovski & Williams Examine Virtual Observatories

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The discussion highlights the transformative impact of virtual observatories on astronomy, enabling widespread access to astronomical data for research. The authors, Djorgovski and Williams, emphasize that advancements in technology allow individuals to conduct significant research without needing traditional telescope access. The rise of "armchair cosmology" is noted, where data mining skills are becoming increasingly valuable in the field. This shift signifies a democratization of astronomical research, making it accessible to anyone with the right tools and interest. The future of astronomy appears to be heavily influenced by data-driven approaches and virtual collaboration.
Chronos
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I thought this was pretty interesting:

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0504006
Title: Virtual Observatory: From Concept to Implementation
Authors: S.G. Djorgovski, R. Williams

Is this the beginning of an era of armchair cosmology?
 
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At our school's astro dept we just hired a new prof whose skills were best summed up as a "data miner" who went through SEDS data and prettied it up, noticed what was interesting, etc. Never plans to actually apply for telescope time herself. Astronomy is changing for certain.
 
"Armchair astronomy" has been around for some time now - with both the 'raw' and 'processed' data from so many top observatories in the public domain, anyone with a broadband internet connection, a half-way decent PC, the appropriate software, and time and interest, has been able to do research that only a few decades ago many professional astronomers would have killed for!

The 'virtual observatory' initiatives just make the combining of datasets from different observatories, instruments, bands, epochs, etc a whole lot easier. Long live data miners! :smile:
 

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