Questions

Digital archives constitute an essential element of modern astronomical research. They serve a multitude of scientific purposes; in particular they offer unique records of change . The scientific need for worldwide access to precious or time-sensitive observations is undisputed. Modern researchers have a wide choice of highly efficient tools for handling and manipulating digital information.

Benefits of Spectroscopic Databases

Scientific advantages:

• Extended time-bases of observations of variable phenomena
• Improved understanding through the incorporation of multi-wavelength observations
• Better assessment of classification statistics deriving from large amounts of observations
• Far more samples for analyses

Improved scientific returns from major hardware investments:

• Shared participation in recent observations among a worldwide community
• Re-use of observations for many purposes, often quite different from the original ones

Specialized technical information:

• Unique opportunities to monitor long-term performance of instruments