Moving the pretty pictures into the 21th century

Lars Lindberg Christensen (ESA/ESO)

The problem• The Terabyte data stream: “The

public needs guidance in an entirely new 3D cosmos” (T. Kraupe)

• As a first step how do we better share resources internally?

• Ultimately, how do we allow the public better access to images, videos and other materials?

Implementation1. Central coordinating organisation: IAU WG on

Communicating Astronomy?2. Metadata tags with the pixels (in for instance

XML format added with the FITS Liberator)3. List of Data Holdings (dynamic): yellow pages,

Registries that contain metadata about data resources and information services

4. Communication between user and data holding – for instance through the Registry with the help of a VO-style Data Access Layer, such as the Simple Image Access Protocol (SIAP)

Metadata tagging• Future: The ESA/ESO/NASA

Photoshop FITS Liberator• Past + Future: The Virtual Cosmos

retrofitting software (L. Frattare)

Metadata categories• ID• Curation metadata• General content• Collection and service metadata• Data quality metadata• Processing

ExampleID:1. Title: Hubble paparazzi: Spies Pamela A. sunbathing2. ProductID heic0412a, opo0420b3. Dataset names ivo://ESO.HST/U2JZ0607B,

ivo://ESO.HST/U2JZ0603B, ivo://ESO.HST/ U2JZ0605B, ivo://ESO.HST/U2JZ0601B

CURATION METADATA4. Publisher ESA5. Creator Hubble European Space Agency Information Centre6. Date 1995-02-017. Reference http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/

releases/1995/45/image/a8. Credit ESA & NASA

ExampleGENERAL CONTENT:9. ObjectName Messier 4210. ObjectUnifiedContentDescriptor Galaxy;stars.cluster.globular11. Description This spectacular color panorama of

the center the Orion nebula is one of the largest pictures ever assembled from individual images taken with the Hubble Space Telescope. The picture, seamlessly composited from a mosaic of 15 separate fields, covers an area of sky about five

percent the area covered by the full Moon.12. Type Artwork13. Product type image 14. File format tiff15. Number of exposures 4

ExampleCOLLECTION AND SERVICE METADATA16. Facility Hubble Space Telescope17. Instrument WFPC218. Coverage.Spatial polygon (FK5, 145.17, 1.25, 235.9, 1.25,

235.9, - 1.25,145.17, 1.25)19. Coverage.Spatial.Dimensions 2100 x 2304 pixels20. Coverage.Spectral Optical21. Coverage.Spectral.Bandpass B, V, I22. Coverage.Temporal.ExposureDate 1994-02-0123. Coverage.Temporal.ExposureTime 320, 300, 700, 90024. Rights public

ExampleDATA QUALITY METADATA25. ProductQuality 2

PROCESSING: 26. White level 9.727. Black level 1.228. Stretch function Log29. Scale factor 0.000235430. Background 2300