Data Access with VODesktop: An Introduction
This page gives an introduction to data access using AstroGrid services including AstroScope, Helioscope and more detailed dataset queries.
Techniques to Access Data
Datasets are available via AstroGrid in several ways:
- Data Discovery services, e.g. AstroScope and HelioScope
- Database (ADQL) queries launched from Task Launcher or from a Workflow
- Tools developed for specific datasets
Data Discovery Services
AstroScope and HelioScope give access to a large number of datasets from a variety of archives all around the world. They are data discovery services that only support simple queries: AstroScope allows you to search by position in the sky or object name, HelioScope by time range. The best way to find out which data you can retrieve from these services is to try a search.
Datasets available via ADQL queries
On this page we list a selection of the datasets that are available via AstroGrid using the second method mentioned: ADQL queries. ADQL (the "astronomers' data query language", which uses logic similar to the Structured Query Languages used for databases) allows you to construct more complex queries with more complex constrains than simple position or time ranges. To construct queries to the services listed below you need to use the Task Launcher (from the VODesktop) or see Querying databases via the VODeskTop.
| Dataset | Provider | Comments |
| FIRST | CASU | Faint Images of the Radio Sky at 20 cm |
| 2dF GRS catalogue | CASU | |
| INT-WFS source catalogue | CASU | Isaac Newton Telescope Wide Field Survey |
| INT-WFS DQC catalogue | CASU | Image characteristics and URLs |
| INT-WFS images and image cutout service | CASU | Multi-colour optical images |
| SDSS DR6 | WFAU | Sloan Digital Sky Survey source catalogue |
| SWIRE catalogues | CASU | |
| SWIRE images and cutout service for N1 region | CASU | |
| IPHAS (Galactic plane survey) | CASU | |
| CMC14 (Carlsberg Meridian Circle 14) | CASU | |
| 2XMM catalogues | LEDAS | |
| 6dF | WFAU | |
| USNO-B | WFAU | |
| 2MASS | WFAU | |
| SuperCosmos Science Archive | WFAU | |
| UKIDSS Catalogues | WFAU | access only to ESO/ consortium |
| TRACE | UKSSDC | |
| SOHO EIT | VSO | |
| SOHO CDS | MSSL | |
| Solar Event Catalogue | EGSO | |
| Yohkoh SXT | MSSL | |
| GOODS | STScI | |
| HST-UDF | STScI | |
| XMM images | ESAC | |
| Hinode EIS | MSSL | |
| Aladin | CDS | hundreds of catalogues |
| CADC | CVO | HST, CFHT, etc |