ASTRONOMY:
The Dial-Up Sky
Ann Finkbeiner
Astronomers are beginning to link surveys of hundreds of millions of stars and galaxies, seen at many wavelengths, into a virtual universe that can be explored with the click of a mouse. The goal, say survey leaders, is something like a single survey of the sky in 14 wavelengths, all accessible with links to one Web site. If done properly, researchers say, both astronomers and the public could have a virtual telescope, which could be a powerful tool for discovery.