Astronomical Data Fusion Tool Based on PostgreSQL

TL;DR

This paper presents a user-friendly, PostgreSQL-based astronomical data fusion tool that enables efficient cross-matching of multiwavelength data from various sources, supporting multiple matching algorithms without requiring coding skills.

Contribution

The introduced cross-match tool is a locally applicable, multi-function platform that simplifies astronomical data integration and management for users without programming expertise.

Findings

Supports four cross-match functions including custom and catalog error ranges

Facilitates data transfer between databases

Enables creation and management of user-specific astronomical databases

Abstract

With the application of advanced astronomical technologies, equipments and methods all over the world, astronomy covers from radio, infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma ray band, and enters into the era of full wavelength astronomy. How to effectively integrate data from different ground- and space-based observation equipments, different observers, different bands, different observation time, requires the data fusion technology. In this paper we introduce the cross-match tool that is developed by the Python language and based on the PostgreSQL database and uses Q3C as the core index, facilitating the cross-match work of massive astronomical data. It provides four different cross-match functions, namely: I) cross-match of custom error range; II) cross-match of catalog error; III) cross-match based on the elliptic error range; IV) cross-match of the nearest algorithm. The cross-match result set provides good foundation for subsequent data mining and statistics based on multiwavelength data. The most advantage of this tool is a user-oriented tool applied locally by users. By means of this tool, users may easily create their own databases, manage their own data and cross-match databases according to their requirements. In addition, this tool is also able to transfer data from one database into another database. More importantly, the tool is easy to get started and used by astronomers without writing any code.