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Paper: Archives of Data from Ground-Based Observatories
Volume: 101, Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems V
Page: 473
Authors: Crabtree, Dennis R.; Durand, Daniel; Gaudet, Severin; Hill, Norman
Abstract: Historically, when photographic plates were used exclusively, ground-based observatories maintained state-of-the-art archives, i.e., the plates themselves. However, the advent of electronic detectors, with their ever increasing data rate, caused every ground-based observatory to cease archiving their data as the technology for archiving the data was either not available or was not affordable. In the past few years technological advances have allowed a few observatories to either archive their data or at least save the data for potential use in a future archive. This talk will start by briefly describing the current state of `ground-based archives' (a term which I will use instead of the more cumbersome `archives of data from ground-based observatories'). The archives of data archives of the CADC will be discussed with the goal of presenting an architecture which could be expanded to include other ground-based archives. This will be followed by a list of requirements for the ideal ground-based archive which the new large telescopes such as Gemini and the VLT are hoping to build. Specific attention will be given to the role of automatic data reduction and including calibrated data in ground-based archives. Finally, a short discussion on the mechanisms by which ground and space-based archives, data centers such as NED and the CDS and electronic publication and bibliographic services could communicate to provide a seamless transition from one service to another will be described.
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