Armchair Cosmology: Djorgovski & Williams Examine Virtual Observatories

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers around the paper "Virtual Observatory: From Concept to Implementation" by S.G. Djorgovski and R. Williams, which highlights the transformative impact of virtual observatories on astronomy. The emergence of 'armchair cosmology' allows individuals to conduct significant research using publicly available data from top observatories, requiring only a decent PC and appropriate software. This shift signifies a democratization of astronomical research, enabling data miners to analyze and interpret complex datasets without needing traditional telescope access.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of virtual observatories and their role in astronomy
  • Familiarity with data mining techniques
  • Knowledge of astronomical datasets from observatories
  • Basic proficiency in data analysis software
NEXT STEPS
  • Explore the functionalities of specific virtual observatory platforms
  • Learn advanced data mining techniques applicable to astronomical datasets
  • Investigate the integration of multi-wavelength data in astronomy
  • Study the implications of 'armchair astronomy' on professional astronomical research
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy enthusiasts, data scientists, and researchers interested in leveraging public astronomical data for analysis and discovery will benefit from this discussion.

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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