Add the 8th IVOA newsletter

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+---
+title: "IVOA NEWSLETTER - May 2012"
+date: 2012-05-01T00:01:00+02:00
+tags:
+- news
+---
+
+
+The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) was formed in June 2002
+with a mission to facilitate the international coordination and collaboration
+necessary for the development and deployment of the tools, systems and
+organizational structures necessary to enable the international utilization of
+astronomical archives as an integrated and interoperating virtual observatory.
+The IVOA now comprises 19 VO programs from Argentina, Armenia, Australia,
+Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan,
+Russia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States and an
+inter-governmental organization (ESA). Membership is open to other national and
+international programs according to the IVOA Guidelines for Participation. You
+can read more about the IVOA and what we do at <http://www.ivoa.net/pub/info/>.
+
+### What is the VO?
+
+The Virtual Observatory (VO) aims to provide a research environment that will
+open up new possibilities for scientific research based on data discovery,
+efficient data access, and interoperability. The vision is of global astronomy
+archives connected via the VO to form a multiwavelength digital sky that can be
+searched, visualized, and analyzed in new and innovative ways. VO projects
+worldwide working toward this vision are already providing science capabilities
+with new tools and services. This newsletter, aimed at astronomers, highlights
+VO tools and technologies for doing astronomy research, recent papers, and
+upcoming events.
+
+---
+
+# IVOA news
+
+> This issue is dedicated to the memory of
+> [Dr. Dave De Young](http://www.usvao.org/news/?p=261), one of the pioneers of
+> the Virtual Observatory movement.  Dave, who was an astronomer at NOAO from 1980
+> until his retirement in September 2011, was Project Scientist of the National
+> Virtual Observatory (2002-2009) and of the Virtual Astronomical Observatory
+> (2009-2011). He was a a great source of strength and inspiration for the IVOA,
+> of which he was the Vice-Chair (2006-2007) and Chair (2007-2008).  Through his
+> role as the Chair of the Standing Committee on Science Priorities (2008-2011)
+> Dave did much to target VO efforts towards applications to scientific issues,
+> rather than just technology development.  Dave's presence will be greatly missed
+> at IVOA meetings, during the sessions, as well as in the evenings where he
+> dazzled everyone with his knowledge, wisdom and personality.   
+> _- Ajit Kembhavi (IVOA Chair) -_
+
+---
+
+# VO applications highlights
+
+{{< side-image image="vao_portal_icon.png" >}}
+
+### US VAO Data Discovery Portal
+
+
+Find datasets from thousands of astronomical collections known to the VO and
+over wide areas of the sky. This includes important collections from archives
+around the world. Feedback on your experience with the tool is appreciated --
+please send your comments, suggestions, and questions to the
+[VAO Help Desk](http://www.usvao.org/contact.php).
+
+**More information:** <http://www.usvao.org/tools>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+{{< side-image image="LogoSVO.png" >}}
+
+### VOSA (VO Sed Analyzer) 3.0
+
+VOSA is a tool developed by the Spanish VO to determine physical parameters
+(e.g. temperatures, gravities, masses, ages) of astronomical objects through the
+comparison of photometry gathered from VO services, with collections of
+theoretical models. VOSA 3.0 represents a profound change with respect to
+previous versions: new VO services, new theoretical collections, and new
+functionalities such as template fitting and estimation of the extinction,
+making VOSA a powerful tool in many areas of research astrophysics. VOSA can
+also be used as a platform to develop new specific applications for different
+astrophysical problems benefiting from a common methodological base (e.g.,
+[Sanchez-Janssen 2011IAUS..277..230S](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011IAUS..277..230S)).
+
+**More information:** <http://svo.cab.inta-csic.es/theory/vosa>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+{{< side-image image="SCC_small.png" >}}
+
+### US VAO Cross-Comparison Tool
+
+Perform fast positional cross-matches between an input table of up to 1 million
+sources and common astronomical source catalogs, such as 2MASS, SDSS DR7 and
+USNO-B. Feedback on your experience with the tool is appreciated -- please send
+your comments, suggestions, and questions to the
+[VAO Help Desk](http://www.usvao.org/contact.php).
+
+**More information:** <http://www.usvao.org/tools>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+{{< side-image image="voplot_thumb.jpg" >}}
+
+### VOPlot v1.8 Beta
+
+VOPlot v1.8Beta includes many enhancements and bug fixes. To name a few v1.8Beta
+supports multi-grid plots for 2D Scatter-Plot which allows the user to have
+multiple plots having grid size from 1x1 to 3x3 in a single window. Paginated
+view is added to see data in tabular format which allows user to navigate
+systematically. Provision to label Lat/Long lines is also added. Users can now
+plot a cumulative histogram for all histogram types. VOPlot 1.8Beta shows the
+metadata of a FITS file instantaneously while the actual loading happens in
+background. VOPlot v1.8Beta also provides better handling of "faulty data" while
+parsing an ASCII file.
+
+**More information:** <http://vo.iucaa.ernet.in/~voi/voplot.htm>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+{{< side-image image="CDSXMatchScreenshot.png" thumbnail="CDSXMatchScreenshot_thumb.png" >}}
+
+### CDS XMatch Service
+
+CDS Xmatch is a new service for efficient positional cross-matching of very
+large catalogues. Input catalogues include all (~10000) VizieR tables, a tabular
+view of the Simbad database, plus GALEX, UKIDSS DR5 LAS, SDSS DR8, and
+user-uploaded tables. The service has been designed for large jobs; for example,
+the entire SDSS DR8 can be cross-matched with the 2MASS point source catalogue
+in less than 17 minutes, resulting in ~55x106 cross-matched associations with
+separations <2.5", and producing a ~15GB output file.
+
+**More information:** <http://cdsxmatch.u-strasbg.fr/xmatch>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+{{< side-image image="vao_timeSeries_icon.png" >}}
+
+### US VAO Time Series Search Tool
+
+Discover time-series data from the Harvard Time Series Center, Catalina
+Real-time Transient Survey, and the NASA Exoplanet archive - and analyze them
+with the NASA Exoplanet Archive periodogram application. Feedback on your
+experience with the tool is appreciated -- please send your comments,
+suggestions, and questions to the
+[VAO Help Desk](http://www.usvao.org/contact.php).
+
+**More information:** <http://www.usvao.org/tools>
+
+{{</ side-image >}}
+
+---
+
+# Some recent papers about VO-enabled science
+
+### Featured Paper
+
+[Identification of red high proper-motion objects in Tycho-2 and 2MASS catalogues using Virtual Observatory tools](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012arXiv1201.5315J)
+
+Jiménez-Esteban, F. M.; Caballero, J. A.; Dorda, R.; Miles-Páez, P. A.; Solano, E.
+
+Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 539, id.A86
+
+With available Virtual Observatory tools, we looked for new M dwarfs in the
+solar neighbourhood and M giants with high tangential velocities. From an
+all-sky cross-match between the optical Tycho-2 and the near-infrared 2MASS
+catalogues, we selected objects with proper motions μ > 50 mas yr-1 and very red
+VT - Ks colours. For the most interesting targets, we collected multi-wavelength
+photometry, constructed spectral energy distributions, estimated effective
+temperatures and surface gravities from fits to atmospheric models, performed
+time-series analysis of ASAS V-band light curves, and assigned spectral types
+from low-resolution spectroscopy obtained with CAFOS at the 2.2 m Calar Alto
+telescope. We got a sample of 59 bright red high proper-motion objects,
+including fifty red giants, four red dwarfs, and five objects reported in this
+work for the first time. The five new stars have magnitudes VT ≈ 10.8-11.3 mag,
+reduced proper motions midway between known dwarfs and giants, near-infrared
+colours typical of giants, and effective temperatures Teff ≈ 2900-3400 K. From
+our time-series analysis, we discovered a long secondary period in Ruber 4 and
+an extremely long primary period in Ruber 6. With the CAFOS spectra, we
+confirmed the red giant nature of Ruber 7 and 8, the last of which seems to be
+one of the brightest metal-poor M giants ever identified.
+
+### Refereed Publications
+
+* [Optical Spectroscopy with the Technology of Virtual Observatory](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011BaltA..20..531S)  
+  Škoda, P. Baltic Astronomy, Vol. 20, p. 531-53.9  
+* [New ultracool subdwarfs identified in large-scale surveys using Virtual Observatory tools: Part I: UKIDSS LAS DR5 vs SDSS DR7](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012arXiv1204.4328L)  
+  N. Lodieu, M. Espinoza Contreras, M. R. Zapatero Osorio, E. Solano, M. Aberasturi, E. L. Martín. Accepted by A&A.    
+* [A universal ultraviolet-optical colour-colour-magnitude relation of galaxies](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012MNRAS.419.1727C)  
+  Chilingarian, I., Zolotukhin, I., 2012, MNRAS, 419, 1727  
+* [Astroinformatics of galaxies and quasars: a new general method for photometric redshifts estimation](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011MNRAS.418.2165L)  
+  Laurino, O., D'Abrusco, R., Longo, G., Riccio, G., 2011, MNRAS, 418, 2165  
+* [WISE/2MASS-SDSS brown dwarfs candidates using Virtual Observatory tools](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011A%26A...534L...7A)  
+  Aberasturi, M., Solano, E., Martin, E. L., A&A, 2011, 534, L7  
+* [SearchCal: a Virtual Observatory tool for searching calibrators in optical long-baseline interferometry. II. The faint-object case](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006A%26A...456..789B)  
+  Bonneau, D., Delfosse, X., Mourard, D., Lafrasse, S., Mella, G., Cetre, S., Clausse, J.-M., Zins, G., A&A, 2011, 535, A53  
+* [TESELA: a new Virtual Observatory tool to determine blank fields for astronomical observations](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011MNRAS.417.3061C)  
+  Cardiel, N., Jimenez-Esteban, F. M., Alacid, J. M., Solano, E., Aberasturi, M., 2011, MNRAS, 417, 3061  
+* [The Parkes Observatory Pulsar Data Archive](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011PASA...28..202H)  
+  Hobbs, G.; Miller, D.; Manchester, R. N.; Dempsey, J.; Chapman, J. M.; Khoo, J.; Applegate, J.; Bailes, M.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Bridle, R.; and 32 coauthors.PASA, Volume 28, Issue 3, pp. 202-214
+
+### More Ways to Find VO-related Publications
+
+* [All ADS links](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?db_key=AST&db_key=PRE&qform=AST&arxiv_sel=astro-ph&arxiv_sel=cond-mat&arxiv_sel=cs&arxiv_sel=gr-qc&arxiv_sel=hep-ex&arxiv_sel=hep-lat&arxiv_sel=hep-ph&arxiv_sel=hep-th&arxiv_sel=math&arxiv_sel=math-ph&arxiv_sel=nlin&arxiv_sel=nucl-ex&arxiv_sel=nucl-th&arxiv_sel=physics&arxiv_sel=quant-ph&arxiv_sel=q-bio&sim_query=YES&ned_query=YES&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=&object=&start_mon=&start_year=&end_mon=&end_year=&ttl_logic=OR&title=&txt_logic=OR&text=%22virtual+observatory%22&nr_to_return=200&start_nr=1&jou_pick=ALL&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&end_entry_day=&end_entry_mon=&end_entry_year=&min_score=&sort=SCORE&data_type=SHORT&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&version=1) mentioning the "virtual observatory" in the abstract
+* [All refereed publications](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-abs_connect?db_key=AST&qform=AST&arxiv_sel=astro-ph&arxiv_sel=cond-mat&arxiv_sel=cs&arxiv_sel=gr-qc&arxiv_sel=hep-ex&arxiv_sel=hep-lat&arxiv_sel=hep-ph&arxiv_sel=hep-th&arxiv_sel=math&arxiv_sel=math-ph&arxiv_sel=nlin&arxiv_sel=nucl-ex&arxiv_sel=nucl-th&arxiv_sel=physics&arxiv_sel=quant-ph&arxiv_sel=q-bio&sim_query=YES&ned_query=YES&aut_logic=OR&obj_logic=OR&author=&object=&start_mon=&start_year=&end_mon=&end_year=&ttl_logic=OR&title=&txt_logic=OR&text=%22virtual+observatory%22&nr_to_return=200&start_nr=1&jou_pick=NO&ref_stems=&data_and=ALL&group_and=ALL&start_entry_day=&start_entry_mon=&start_entry_year=&end_entry_day=&end_entry_mon=&end_entry_year=&min_score=&sort=SCORE&data_type=SHORT&aut_syn=YES&ttl_syn=YES&txt_syn=YES&aut_wt=1.0&obj_wt=1.0&ttl_wt=0.3&txt_wt=3.0&aut_wgt=YES&obj_wgt=YES&ttl_wgt=YES&txt_wgt=YES&ttl_sco=YES&txt_sco=YES&version=1) mentioning the "virtual observatory" in the abstract
+
+---
+
+# VO calendar
+
+* **21-25 May 2012 - [IVOA Interoperability Meeting](http://www.ivoa.net/cgi-bin/twiki/bin/view/IVOA/InterOpMay2012)**
+
+  (Urbana, IL, USA)
+
+  The IVOA Interop Meetings are aimed at making significant progress in defining
+  standards and sharing best practices in the development of the world wide
+  Virtual Observatory initiatives.
+
+* **9-11 July, 2012 - [.Astronomy 4](http://dotastronomy.com/)**
+
+  (Heidelberg, Germany)
+
+  The Internet provides an incredible platform for astronomers and astrophysical
+  research. .Astronomy (pronounced 'dot-astronomy') aims to bring together an
+  international community of astronomy researchers, developers, educators and
+  communicators to showcase and build upon these many web-based projects, from
+  outreach and education to research tools and data analysis.
+
+* **10-13 September, 2012 - [AstroInformatics 2012](http://www.astro.caltech.edu/ai12/)**
+
+  (Redmond, WA)
+
+  Astronomy, like many other fields, is becoming exponentially data-rich, and
+  the tasks of data management, data exploration, and knowledge discovery become
+  central to our research enterprise, bringing along many technical and
+  methodological challenges. Information technology also provides the stage
+  where we collaborate and interact, and publish, preserve, and disseminate
+  knowledge. The general philosophy behind the conference is to be
+  future-oriented, and essentially define the emerging discipline of
+  AstroInformatics.
+
+* **23-28 September, 2012 - [Session on "e-Infrastructures and the VO for Planetary Sciences"](http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EPSC2012/session/11477) at [EPSC 2012](http://www.epsc2012.eu/)**
+
+  (Madrid, Spain)
+
+  A VO session entitled "e-infrastructures and the VO for planetary sciences"
+  will be held at the European Planetary Science Congress 2012 (IFEMA-Feria de
+  Madrid 23-28 September) as session MT2 in the group "Missions and Techniques".
+  Call for papers abstract deadline is 23 May 2012.
+
+----
+
+**IVOA Newsletter Editors:**
+
+- Mark G. Allen
+- Sarah Emery Bunn
+- Chenzou Cui
+- Mark Taylor
+- Jonathan Tedds
+
+[write to the editors](mailto:[email protected])
+
+[Subscribe to email notifications of the IVOA Newsletter](http://www.eso.org/lists/listinfo/ivoa-news)
+
+[newsletter archives](http://www.ivoa.net/newsletter/archives.html)