Thoughts on Archives

[Tom Droege <tdroege2@earthlink.net>]

I am quoting here from "Light Curves of Variable Stars" by Sterken and 
Jaschek.  I found time to read through this book several times on my 
vacation while Jennifer was participating in Rolls events and visiting with 
her relatives.  Seems like the Malpass family delights in going to some 
remote place, and then seeing how many near by (or not so near by) friends 
and relatives can come by to visit.  I thus found time to read while 
keeping out of the way of the melee.

 From the Introduction (sic):

"We first intended to present all data (light and colour curves) in one single
photometric system and to represent the data with a single graphical software
package.  However, as the light curve data were coming in, we realised that 
it was
just impossible to combine all photometric data into one singe homogeneous
data set.  Moreover, we learned with dismay that for many light curves 
published
less than a decade ago, the only remnant data are the graphs themselves, the
original data having been lost forever - indeed a vivid demonstration that
archiving of astronomical data is still in its infancy.

Here are some of my thoughts on this:

1)  A big data base in consistent format would allow Sterken and Jaschek to 
do what they wanted to do.  Present curves in "one single photometric 
system and to represent the data with a single graphical software 
package".  Note that when S and J set out to do this work (a graphical 
catalog of variable star types) they were surprised that no one seemed to 
have done it before.

2)  Until there is some place else to put the data, i would propose that 
people like Michael K. put their data into technical notes *including the 
raw data*.  The format is not important.  No use doing work twice to put 
the data into some format of our own.  Just write it up for the destination 
journal and make a tech note of it.  Then append the raw data.  Then 
someone that wants the information can come and get everything.

Again, this is not publication.  It is our "internal" archive.  No matter 
that anyone can participate in tass and thus access the data.

Tom Droege