Management and Operation of the Virtual Astronomical Observatory

虚拟天文台(VAO)是在天文学研究性质发生深刻变化的时候诞生的。天文研究人员已经在网上获得了数百万亿字节的数据，如果他们能够找到相关的数据集，访问它们，进行定量比较，并最终了解它们的天体物理含义，就可以释放出巨大的科学潜力。VAO将使研究人员能够轻松地将大数据集与高性能计算资源连接起来，提供所需的数据发现、访问和集成框架。虚拟天文台的基础是近年来通过美国的国家虚拟天文台计划、英国的AstroGrid项目、欧洲的天体物理虚拟天文台和随后的欧洲虚拟天文台计划以及日本、澳大利亚、中国和其他十几个国家的国家虚拟天文台计划发展起来的。国际虚拟天文台联盟(虚拟天文台联盟)通过一个相互关联的档案和数据库网络建立了一个全球数据获取的统一愿景，所有这些档案和数据库都使用一种标准接口和协议的共同语言。这有助于促使组织开放对以前受限或无法访问的数据的访问，催化技术和社会学变化，这些变化继续蔓延到几乎所有的研究学科。该奖项支持NSF和NASA在开发NVO基础设施方面的项目团队的经验和专业知识，为管理和运营美国VO迈出的第一步。NVO是一个研究和开发项目，但VO将是一个运营设施，为用户提供坚实的支持，包括可靠的服务、有记录的和强大的应用程序、响应的应答线路支持、支持定制应用程序的工具和库，以及培训和专业外展计划。Vao将根据社区需求开发新的能力，并继续标准化进程，丰富接口，采用和适应新的底层技术。Vao的影响远远超出天文研究界，因为它在公众宣传和教育方面具有前所未有的潜力。Google Sky和World-Wide Telescope等支持VAO的项目将把天文数据带到教室和家庭，提供新颖的课程开发，并吸引公民科学家为科学知识做出贡献。VAO清楚地展示了对基础信息技术的投资价值，如网格计算、数据挖掘和可视化算法，以及先进的数据存储和管理。

Abstract0834235 SchreierThe Virtual Astronomical Observatory (VAO) is, by design, coming of age at a time of profound change in the nature of research in astronomy. Astronomical researchers already have hundreds of terabytes of data available online, and enormous scientific potential can be unleashed were they able to find relevant datasets, access them, compare them quantitatively, and ultimately understand their astrophysical implications. The VAO will make it easy for researchers to connect large data sets with high performance computational resources, providing the needed data discovery, access, and integration framework. The basis for the VAO has been developed in recent years through the National Virtual Observatory (NVO) program in the US, the AstroGrid project in the UK, the Astrophysical Virtual Observatory and subsequent EuroVO program in Europe, and national VO programs in Japan, Australia, China, and a dozen other countries. The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) has created a united vision of global data access through a network of interconnected archives and databases, all speaking a common language of standard interfaces and protocols. This has helped to induce organizations to open up access to data that were previously restricted or inaccessible, catalyzing technical and sociological changes that continue to spread to virtually all research disciplines.This award supports the first step towards managing and operating the US VAO for NSF and NASA, building on the project team's experience and expertise in developing the NVO infrastructure. The NVO was a research and development project, but the VAO will be an operational facility, providing firm support for users, including reliable services, documented and robust applications, responsive answer-line support, tools and libraries that support custom applications, and training and professional outreach programs. The VAO will develop new capabilities in response to community needs, and continue the standardization process, enriching interfaces and adopting and adapting new underlying technologies.The VAO's impact goes far beyond the astronomical research community, because of its unprecedented potential for public outreach and education. VAO-enabled programs such as Google Sky and World-Wide Telescope will bring astronomical data to classrooms and households, providing novel curriculum development, and engaging citizen scientists to contribute to scientific knowledge. The VAO clearly demonstrates the value of investment in fundamental information technologies, such as grid computing, data-mining and visualization algorithms, and advanced data storage and curation.