Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)

What is the main goal of the Virtual Observatory?

• To ensure an efficient management (discovery, access, retrieval and analysis) of the information available in astronomical archives.

Who is behind the Virtual Observatory?

• At international level: IVOA (International Virtual Observatory Alliance): It was formed in June 2002 with the mission to facilitate the international coordination and collaboration in the field of Virtual Observatories. The work of the IVOA focuses on the development of standards.

• At European level: Euro-VO: Its top level objective is to coordinate the VO activities in Europe.

• At national level: SVO. The Spanish Virtual Observatory has the following objectives:

• Construction of a community of users:
  
  • Scientific Workshops.
  • Support to VO science programmes
  • Production of on-line tutorials

• Development of IVOA standards and services
• Support to data publishing in the VO
• Data Mining tools
• Education and Outreach activities.

Where can I find a list of VO tools?

• Here you can find an up-to-date list of VO tools.

Where can I find some examples of VO science?

• Here you can get a list of VO scientific workflows.