Stellar Spectra and the "Virtual Observatory" Project

Volume 35 number 1 (2007)

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R. E. Griffin

Abstract

Spectroscopy is the essential tool for investigating the nature of stellar atmospheres of all types of stars, standard as well as variable; monitoring the spectrum of a variable star provides vital information about the causes of observed photometric variability. Astrophysics, therefore, needs accessible data banks of spectra to complement those of photometric observations such as are held by the AAVSO. The IAU Working Group for Spectroscopic Data Archives is working towards the establishment of such data-banks from two approaches: (1) the collection and dissemination of newly-acquired digital spectra, and (2) the creation of a world plate store (the "Virtual Observatory") to facilitate the re-use of older photographic spectrograms.