Welcome to SkyServer!SkyServer is the catalog data access site for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-III. From this site, you can view all the catalog data - measuremed quantities like positions and magnitudes - for all the stars, galaxies and quasars in the SDSS-III's Data Release 16. Data Release 16 (DR16) is described at
the DR16 page Available DataData Release 16 includes many different kinds of data, accessible through either
SkyServer or its companion site, the Science Archive Server DR16 contains the full imaging survey from the SDSS imaging camera. Future data releases will include
only spectra, so DR16 includes all the released images of the entire Sloan Digital Sky Survey. SkyServer includes JPG images of the entire DR16
survey area; FITS image files of corrected frames in
five imaging filters DR16 also contains more than one million spectra from the original SDSS spectrograph, as part of the SDSS-I
and SDSS-II, as well as data from the previous year of operations of the
SEGUE-2 SkyServer hosts all catalog data measured from the images and spectra as part of DR16. For more
information on how the catalog data was derived, see the DR16
Algorithms Data AccessSkyServer includes a number of Data Access tools. The tools vary from simple to complex and powerful. It is not necessary to learn every tool; just find one you are comfortable with and use it. If you find you are unable to do what you want using your favorite tool, return to this list and find another tool. There are two general categories of tools: either you know what objects or positions you are looking for, or you are searching for data to match certain criteria. Once you know which category of tool you need, use the table below to decide which specific tool to use. When you know what you are looking for...
When you are searching for objects to meet certain criteria...
HelpSkyServer and the DR16 web site Cooking with Sloan is a series of guides showing you how to accomplish common astronomical tasks using SkyServer tools and SDSS data. SkyServer also offers an SQL Tutorial to help you search for data using the SQL programming language. If you can't find the answer your question, contact the
SDSS Help Desk Educational ResourcesSkyServer is an excellent resource for educators, including K-12 teachers and college instructors. SDSS-III data provides a rich source of hands-on, inquiry-based activities for learning science at all levels. SkyServer includes many free resources that you can use and modify for your students. See the For Educators link to learn more about these free resources. The SkyServer Educational Resources include many activities that teach a single science topic, such as the expanding universe or stellar spectra, using SDSS data. See the teacher guides for more information on how to use SkyServer educational resources in your classroom or lab section. If you have questions about SkyServer educational resources, please E-mail the SkyServer education helpdesk!
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