Planning for the Planning for the Virtual ObservatoryVirtual Observatory

Tara MurphyTara Murphy

… with input from other Aus-VO members …

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

What is the VO?What is the VO?

Mission: “Mission: “To deliver more science To deliver more science per dollar for astronomyper dollar for astronomy””

The VO is a distributed collection The VO is a distributed collection of: of: – Data resourcesData resources– Software resourcesSoftware resources– Computing (grid) resourcesComputing (grid) resources– Telescopes?Telescopes?

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

International International communitycommunity The IVOA is a collaboration between The IVOA is a collaboration between

many countries, many countries, several of which are several of which are allocating significant resourcesallocating significant resources to it to it

Over $25 million has been invested by Over $25 million has been invested by NVO, Astrogrid and AVONVO, Astrogrid and AVO

Member countries include:Member countries include:– US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, US, UK, France, Germany, Russia,

Hungary, Japan, China, India, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Japan, China, India, Spain, Italy, KoreaKorea

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

Why is the VO Why is the VO important?important? Future facilities (such as SKA) will Future facilities (such as SKA) will

require enormous software effort to require enormous software effort to achieve their potentialachieve their potential

Funding for these facilities will Funding for these facilities will have to include money for specialised have to include money for specialised software developmentsoftware development

The VO is developing expertise in the The VO is developing expertise in the type of software and infrastructure type of software and infrastructure requiredrequired

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

And also…And also…

IAU resolution IAU resolution Public Access to Astronomical ArchivesPublic Access to Astronomical Archives ::– Data obtained on publicly-funded Major Data obtained on publicly-funded Major

National or International Astronomical facilities National or International Astronomical facilities should … be should … be placed in an archive where they placed in an archive where they may be accessed via the internetmay be accessed via the internet by all by all research astronomers. research astronomers.

– … … the data should be accompanied by the data should be accompanied by appropriate metadata and other appropriate metadata and other information or information or tools to make them scientifically valuabletools to make them scientifically valuable. .

ARC requirementsARC requirements

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

Australia’s Australia’s involvementinvolvement Should Australia be a part of it? Should Australia be a part of it?

YES!YES! Why?Why?

– To increase the effectiveness ofTo increase the effectiveness of Australian ResearchersAustralian Researchers

– To increase the effectiveness ofTo increase the effectiveness of Australian InstrumentsAustralian Instruments

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

The HST archiveThe HST archive

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

The current situationThe current situation

So far Aus-VO has been So far Aus-VO has been successful at obtaining funding successful at obtaining funding from a variety of sources such asfrom a variety of sources such as– APACAPAC– CSIRO Emerging ScienceCSIRO Emerging Science– ARC LIEF grantsARC LIEF grants

Which have allowed us to get Which have allowed us to get startedstarted

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

However…However…

To be more effective we need toTo be more effective we need to– strengthen the identity of Aus-VOstrengthen the identity of Aus-VO– achieve critical massachieve critical mass– be able to set long term goalsbe able to set long term goals

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

The future of Aus-VOThe future of Aus-VO

We see the VO as part of a larger We see the VO as part of a larger movement towards e-sciencemovement towards e-science

We want to produce great software We want to produce great software for Australian astronomy datafor Australian astronomy data

To be successful we need to change:To be successful we need to change:– the structure of Aus-VOthe structure of Aus-VO– the way it is fundedthe way it is funded

Tara Murphy Tara Murphy http://www.aus-vo.orghttp://www.aus-vo.org Decadal Plan Meeting 2004 Decadal Plan Meeting 2004

ConclusionConclusion

Fact:Fact: the amount of astronomical the amount of astronomical data will increase massively in data will increase massively in the next decadethe next decade

Fact:Fact: old software techniques just old software techniques just won’t work any morewon’t work any more

To be competitive in this new era To be competitive in this new era we have to plan for these we have to plan for these changes now!changes now!