Where the Rubber Meets the Sky: Bridging the Gap between Databases and Science

TL;DR

This paper discusses how computer science tools can help manage, analyze, and visualize large-scale scientific data, based on seven years of experience with astronomy data management for the World-Wide Telescope.

Contribution

It presents a seven-year case study of integrating database technology with scientific research needs in astronomy.

Findings

Successful development of database tools for astronomical data

Enhanced data analysis and visualization capabilities

Bridging the gap between database tech and scientific research

Abstract

Scientists in all domains face a data avalanche - both from better instruments and from improved simulations. We believe that computer science tools and computer scientists are in a position to help all the sciences by building tools and developing techniques to manage, analyze, and visualize peta-scale scientific information. This article is summarizes our experiences over the last seven years trying to bridge the gap between database technology and the needs of the astronomy community in building the World-Wide Telescope.