[Vampinfo] VAMP Newsletter - November 2007

[Adrienne Gauthier]

***VAMP NEWSLETTER November 2007***

Welcome to the new VAMP NEWSLETTER & Announcement service!

http://www.virtualastronomy.org/

---Summary of CAP 2007---
VAMP had a successful showing at the Communicating Astronomy with the
Public 2007 meeting in Athens Greece. Many talks referenced our project
and the feedback received after presenting and during the poster sessions
was very positive.

Adrienne Gauthier, et al presented a general talk on VAMP:
- Talk (PPT): http://preview.tinyurl.com/38ojhz
- Video (MOV): http://preview.tinyurl.com/3cstwh

Amit Kapadia, et al presented a proof-of-concept demonstration using the
AVM and Stellarium:
- Talk (PDF): http://preview.tinyurl.com/2s4w8f
- Video (MOV): http://preview.tinyurl.com/32jngq

Robert Hurt, et al had a poster on the AVM:
http://www.spacetelescope.org/about_us/conference_posters/html/vamp_cap2007.html

Roughly 30 people gathered for our Digital Universes and Metadata meeting
during Wed lunchtime. Robert started with a brief introduction to the
goals of the AVM standard and Carol completed the picture by describing
how the AVM and VO relate to each other and can work together. The
community issue of 'image parity' and WCS coordinate standards was
explained and feedback was requested.  Brian Abbott and Ryan Wyatt
illustrated the needs of the planetaria and we are now collaborating to
determine how the AVM can best serve those needs. Feedback on all counts
was positive and VAMP seems to have the full support of the members of the
community. In general everyone is eager to see the completion of the AVM
and the emergence of the fully operational VAMP in 2008.

---Current Development---

* We are nearing completiong on the AVM Version 1.1 and will be ready to
submit it to the IVOA for acceptance by Dec 1, 2007. We will be asking for
a round of community feedback in the upcoming weeks.
* AVM Users Guide for Dummies & AVM XMP Panels are now posted online at
the bottom of this page: http://virtualastronomy.org/avm_metadata.php
* A Web-based XML to XMP tagging tool is under development by the small
team at ESA/Hubble, though we are still looking for development
collaborators. Please contact Adrienne Gauthier (agauthier at as.arizona.edu)
if interested.
* IRSA will begin VAMP Middleware development this month!

---Next VAMP Public Meeting---

We are hoping to have a VAMP General Meeting during the AAS winter meeting
in Austin, TX, USA this January. Stay tuned for more information.

Clear skies!
Adrienne Gauthier
Lars Lindberg Christensen
Robert Hurt
Ryan Wyatt