Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems X

Abstract

Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems X 1The Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems-ADASS-Conference series is now in its 10th year and continues to highlight advances across a wide range of topical areas.This year's focus areas included "Enabling Technologies for Astronomy," "Software Development Technologies," "Science Data Pipelines, "Sky Surveys," "Outreach," and "Software History."In addition, "Birds-of-a-Feather" sessions were held concerning the National Virtual Observatory (NVO), CORBA, IRAF, AIPSϩϩ, DS9, IDL, Linux, and FITS.As evidence for the wide and continuing interest in astronomical software issues, 304 participants attended the conference from 21 countries.The theme of "enabling technologies" was addressed by A. Szalay (reviewing the genesis, challenges, and opportunities of the virtual observatory), J. Spyromilio (commissioning the VLT), and J. Tarter and D. Werthimer (the science and technical challenges of the SETI project).S. Murray and R. Brissenden described the early scientific successes and operational systems for the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and B. Glendenning gave an overview of the software engineering challenges facing the ALMA telescope project.Key papers on software development technologies included J. Graybeal (CORBA), G. Filippi (software development methodologies employed at ESO), C. Kesselman (computational grids), J. Manuel Filgueira (distributed objects), and V. Yodaiken (real-time Linux).In the area of science data processing pipelines, R. Lupton described the image reduction pipeline for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and R. Cutri described the 2MASS project under the topic of sky surveys.K. Shortridge gave an insightful and amusing historical perspective of astronomical software development.The oral program also included a number of excellent contributed papers, and daily poster sessions (with over 120 posters presented in total) included presentations on all areas of software development and systems.Fourteen groups demonstrated their latest software systems and astronomical information services.Over the past decade the emphasis of the conference has gradually changed, from the "Data Analysis" to the "Systems" part of the title.This change reflects the fact that astronomical software development has entered into the age of very large projects, either in support of large, complex, forefront telescopes (Gemini, VLT, ALMA, and NGST for example) or in the support of massive surveys and the associated terabytescale databases (e.g., 2MASS, GSC-II, and SDSS).The soft-