Internet Services for Professional Astronomy

TL;DR

This paper provides a comprehensive overview of Internet resources and databases relevant to professional astronomers, highlighting key tools and links for accessing astronomical data and information.

Contribution

It offers a curated, up-to-date snapshot of approximately 200 Internet resources for astronomers, emphasizing databases and information servers relevant to the field.

Findings

Catalogs and databases of astronomical objects

Sky survey finding charts and bibliographies

Directories and multi-wavelength observational archives

Abstract

A (subjective) overview of Internet resources relevant to professional astronomers is given. Special emphasis is put on databases of astronomical objects and servers providing general information, e.g. on astronomical catalogues, finding charts from sky surveys, bibliographies, directories, browsers through multi-wavelength observational archives, etc. Archives of specific observational data will be discussed in more detail in other chapters of this book, dealing with the corresponding part of the electromagnetic spectrum. About 200 different links are mentioned, and every attempt was made to make this report as up-to-date as possible. As the field is rapidly growing with improved network technology, it will be just a snapshot of the present situation.