Finding the forest despite the trees: two new galaxies, hidden among, the stars.(OUT THERE)(Sloan Digital Sky Survey)

Publication: Natural History

Publication Date: 01-SEP-05

Bookmark this article Print this article Link to this article Email this article Digg It! Add to del.icio.us RSS

COPYRIGHT 2005 Natural History Magazine, Inc.

About fifteen years ago, a group of leading astronomers judged that the time was right for a new map of the sky. The map would tap revolutionary techniques and technology, including electronic cameras that collect light far faster than photographic film; computerized telescopes that aim and capture images supereffectively; and global computer networks that process, analyze, and store massive amounts of data.

Today, this magnum opus of cosmic study, called the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), is well on its way to completion. To date, the database released to the public includes more than 8,000 gigabytes of images, 672,000 spectra, and 180 million catalogued objects (to take a look, visit the project's SkyServer Web site at http://cas.sdss. org). The survey has already led to major advances in just about every area of astronomy, including the detection of nearby...

Read the full article for free courtesy of your local library.