Severin Gaudet (CADC)

Title: The Canadian Astronomy Data Centre: Status and Future Directions

Abstract: 

The Canadian Astronomy Data Centre (CADC) was created in 1986 in
anticipation of the launch of Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Its goal
was to ensure that Canadian astronomers had access to data from HST
whose archive has proven to be a pioneering science facility. CADC now
handles space data from the HST, FUSE, BLAST and MOST missions as well
as data from ground-based facilities: CFHT, Gemini, JCMT, CGPS and
MACHO. The mission of CADC has broadened and evolved to not only
provide access to many data collections but also provide services such
as near real-time data transfer, proprietary access, survey support,
data processing and access to processed data. Our experience with a
wide variety of types of data together with the growth in importance
of multi-wavelength research led us toward a vision for astronomy data
management that is now widely known as the "Virtual Observatory" (VO).

This talk will provide an overview of CADC activities with emphasis on
the state of the CFHT Archive and a look at new developments in the
world of astronomy data management.