Sky-Map.org (or WikiSky.org) is a wiki and interactive sky map that covers over half a billion known celestial bodies.[1] WikiSky is designed, in part, as a wiki. Users can edit information about different stars by writing articles, adding Internet links, uploading images, or creating a special interest group for a specific task.[2][3]
Type of site | Web mapping |
|---|---|
| Available in | Multilingual |
| URL | sky-map |
| Commercial | No |
| Registration | Yes |
| Current status | Active |
The website, although still available for users to visit, has shown little activity since 2010. A significant amount of vandalism, in the form of adding unrecognized proper names to stars, exists and is still occurring as of now.[when?][citation needed]
Software
editWikiSky can represent the sky using data from several surveys, including GALEX, DSS, and SDSS. In each mode, the user can access the name and a brief description of visible space objects. This can be used to access more detailed information, including articles and different photo images. It also has its own API so that code can be written to access maps, objects’ information and SDSS data.
Image copyright status
editSome images used in WikiSky, such as the ones from Digitized Sky Survey (DSS2), are available for non-commercial use.[4] The DSS data rights are held by multiple institutions.[5] Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) images are now in the public domain, although earlier data releases were for non-commercial use only.[6] Images from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer Space Telescope (infrared), and GALEX (ultraviolet) are in the public domain as works by the US government.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Muir, Hazel (2007-03-22). "WikiSky brings sky gazing to the (online) masses". newscientist.com. New Scientist writer. Archived from the original on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "Sky-Map Site To Show The Beauty Of The Universe To Everybody". skynightly.com. Sky Nightly. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "Other Astronomy Image Services". SkyView. NASA. 2007-05-21. Archived from the original on 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2022-08-22.
- ^ "Copyright - DSS2 images". 2009-02-23. Archived from the original on September 9, 2008. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ "The DSS datarights". Multimission Archive at STScI. 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
- ^ Michael L. Evans. "Image use policy". Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
