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Concluding Remarks Paolo Padovani Head, Virtual Observatory Project Office, ESO, Garching bei M ünchen, Germany & EURO-VO Facility Centre Scientist & Multi-wavelength Astronomer. Disclaimer.
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Concluding RemarksPaolo PadovaniHead, Virtual Observatory Project Office, ESO, Garching bei München, Germany&EURO-VO Facility Centre Scientist& Multi-wavelength Astronomer
Disclaimer • This is a personal, biased view of the Workshop, with no claim of completeness (I have done my best!) • All views expressed here are the author’s only and do not reflect the views of the EURO-VO, IVOA, ESO, etc.
What the VO is NOT responsible for • Producing data data providers’ job • Data processing data providers’ job • Data quality data providers’ job (but needs to check metadata quality!) • Producing specific tools tools writers’ job (but can help in porting to the VO)
Multi-wavelength Astronomy: VO needs VO Science (whatever that means) is a reality • Basic VO need: easy access to all available data at all wavelengths in calibrated format! • Still work to do: • access so far only “simple” (somewhat hard to pre-select); relevant meta-data not always searchable: e.g., texp for spectral tools, observing date [mostly VO problem, but meta-data need to be there!] • still very few “science-ready” data [data providers’ problem] • yet, minimal raw data access (needed, e.g., for large [re-]processing/archival projects) [data providers’ problem] • Main message from multi-wavelength astronomers: more data in the VO! • Bright future: ASTRONET Roadmap report and questionnaire
VO Tools and Standards VO tools have evolved a lot in the past few years • One of the main recent developments (thanks to EURO-VO!): very easy “click of a mouse” interoperability between tools (e.g., Aladin can “send” a catalogue to TOPCAT or a spectrum to VOSpec) • Problems/still missing things: • too many/too complicated VO tools • VO searches for lists of sources, massive scaling: scripting for, e.g, cutout services or access to thousand of spectra at the same time • “quick” check on all available data (raw data access!) • standard for filter/response curve + zero point: magnitude to flux conversion vital for Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) building! • SED “on-the-fly” from spectra and catalogues (at least!) • Table Access Protocol (soon to come: Noddle, p.c.) • top level “VO portal” there will never be a “killer” application
Surveys: VO needs 1 • Medium/large surveys (e.g., COSMOS) have less pressing “standard” VO needs, as all their data are local; moreover, no VO tool will ever be able to compete with their own tools • VO tools “nice to have” to maximize exploitation: e.g., to allow easy match between imaging and spectral data • Large surveys are also on the “provider” side of the VO: need tools for data publishing [available]
Surveys: VO needs 2 Top three needs from round table discussion: • Data coverage: was this position ever observed and, if so, is there an X- detection or not? • catalogue available: easy • reduced data available: difficult (on-the-fly Sextraction?) • raw data: extremely hard [impossible?] (on-the-fly reduction first!) • Quantitative quality information: distinction needed • metadata quality: VO should check that relevant information is provided and make an effort to check that it is correct • data quality: data providers’ task! This is NOT a VO issue but a fact of life: there are (and there have always been!) good data and bad data. We have refereed papers for that • Table Access Protocol: very important, should be done soon
VO near Future • VO tools should take advantage of all available metadata (if more needed, they should be included); quality control on metadata information • More information on available VO tools • SEDs, SEDs, SEDs! • Catalogues, catalogues, catalogues! • Searches for lists of sources, scaling, scripting • Raw data should be included • VO Portal, VO Portal, VO Portal!
(My) Vision for the (Petabyte) Future • Larger telescopes and more complex instruments (e.g., ELTs, LSST) • Data reduction will (almost) become a thing of the past for the average astronomer (see VISTA now!) • Astronomers will deal mostly with catalogues and science-ready data • All of the above better be well-described and interoperable, otherwise impossible to make sense of • Deviants will be weeded out and go extinct (do not underestimate the power of natural selection) • Same for the many tools: usage will decide which will survive • Same for astronomers: “dinosaurs” will disappear • Nobody will remember what the VO was, although everybody will be using it!
On behalf of the EURO-VO and of the Science and Technical Organizing Committee a big Thank you to all participants for their input and contributions