Virtual Observatory Software for Astronomers

The AstroGrid Desktop Suite

In this release (2008.1) we provide a suite of three applications : VO Desktop, Topcat, and AstroGrid Python. For a full experience, we strongly recommend also using Aladin and SPLAT-VO. All the applications in the suite (and likewise Aladin and SPLAT-VO) are programs that run on your own computer - hence "Desktop". However they work by accessing remote services over the internet - for example querying the Registry, or downloading images from a data centre, or saving a file to VOSpace. (You could read a little more about what happens under the hood on this page.) All the AstroGrid provided and recommended tools act as an interacting suite, in that they can pass messages and files between each other.

VO Desktop

This is the core application, and contains several interlinked tools : VOExplorer, Astroscope/Helioscope, File Explorer, Task Runner, and Query Builder. You can search for resources and data in the VO; bookmark your favourites; fetch images, spectra and catalogues; run queries on databases; save and share files in VOSpace; and invoke remote applications. VO Desktop also runs background software called "Astro Runtime" which handles all the internet calls.








Topcat

Topcat is all about tables. You can view them and manipulate them, and make plots in many different formats. You can also crossmatch catalogues. Topcat also has a command-line version called STILTS, which you can access through VO Desktop. Topcat was originally a Starlink application but is now developed by AstroGrid.

















AstroGrid Python

With AstroGrid Python you can write your own Python scripts to call VO services and construct workflows - for example doing a conesearch at a specified position and saving the results in VOSpace. It requires VODesktop to be running as it uses the Astro Runtime background software.

More Tools

A range of applications is listed on the More VO Tools page. However, to complete the key set of analysis tools, we especially recommend Aladin, for displaying and analysing images; and SPLAT-VO, for displaying and analysing spectra.

Attachments

Acknowledging AstroGrid. If you make use of the AstroGrid system or tools, we would be grateful if you could acknowledge this use in any resulting publications. You could use these words: 'This research has made use of data obtained using, or software provided by, the UK's AstroGrid Virtual Observatory Project, which is funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Council and through the EU's Framework 6 programme.' Use of any data discovered or accessed through AstroGrid should of course be mentioned as noted by the data providers.

Licensing and Copyright. AstroGrid software is released under the Academic Free License.. The copyright on the text used in these web pages is owned by the contributing authors. Copyright on images used are assumed to be with the indicated or implied source as appropriate.