Virtual Observatories, Press Release Images, and Web Services Dr. Frank Summers Space Telescope Science Institute November 3, 2005
Collaborators Lisa Frattare, Zolt Levay Phil Hodge Kaushi Bandara Bob Hanisch, Carol Christian, Nahide Craig
Virtual Observatories Digital data, digital connections, digital processing Many telescopes, many repositories, many bandpasses Define standards, build infrastructure & tools
Press Release Images Pictures worth a thousand words VO Problems –Heavily processed –No coordinates –Different metadata
Web Services User to computer Computer to computer XML – self-describing –DTDs, Schema –VOTABLE
Simple Image Access SIA protocol defines a web service Input: cone search Output: list of images Several types of services: cutout, mosaic, atlas, pointed
PReSS Images SIA Info Database SIA Query Server Public Interfaces NVO Interfaces Internet
Major Tasks Gather image data, esp WCS Assemble image database Create web service Register with NVO
PReSS Archive STScI NewsCenter database Images Metadata –Astro info: object, category, instrument –News info: release, primary, composite
Get WCS Info Identify suitable images Retrieve FITS files Run WCS Transfer Tool
Non-astronomical Composite Print layout Solar system Non-VO Images
AstronomicalAstronomical w/ notation
FITS & WCS
Process FITS
WCS Transfer Tool FITS reference image Public release image Mark corresponding points –Automatic peak identification –Automatic solution refinement Python program –Python imaging lib (PIL) –Matplotlib –Tk interface
WCS Results
Create Database Loop through WCS processed images Scan through PReSS Calculate new quantities Output assembled data Perl program
HST PR SIA Web Service Perl programs within Apache web server Based on SIA 1.0 spec Process SIA query –Uses modified CGI::Validate Search database Create VOTABLE response –Uses GSFC’s ASTRO::VO::VOTABLE –Custom EPO fields All code will be available
To Do List Multiple image versions Test to production server Document & distribute Pipeline
Other Things AAS Astronomy Visualization Session Webcasts & Audience Einstein Opera