The SDSS SkyServer: Public Access to the Sloan Digital Sky Server Data

Title: The SDSS SkyServer: Public Access to the Sloan Digital Sky Server Data

Research Question: How can astronomical data be made accessible and useful to both professionals and the general public?

Methodology: The researchers developed the SDSS SkyServer, a web-based platform that provides access to the Sloan Digital Sky Server (SDSS) data. This data is from a five-year survey of the Northern sky, which includes information on over 200 million objects. The SkyServer uses software pipelines to process and analyze the data, extracting relevant attributes and creating cutout images. It also provides tools for users to search, visualize, and analyze the data.

Results: The SDSS SkyServer has proven to be a successful platform for making astronomical data accessible to both professionals and the general public. It has already provided access to the first year's data, which includes over 14 million objects and 50 thousand spectra. The server supports both professional astronomers and educational access, and it continues to grow and improve as more data becomes available.

Implications: The SDSS SkyServer has set a new standard for making large-scale astronomical data accessible to the public. It has demonstrated that with the right tools and resources, even complex scientific data can be understood and utilized by a wide audience. This has important implications for science communication and education, as it allows people to explore and interact with real scientific data in a meaningful way.

Link to Article: https://arxiv.org/abs/0202013v1 Authors: arXiv ID: 0202013v1