[extropy-chat] Re: SPACE: where are we?

[Amara Graps]

Chris Hibbert <hibbert at mydruthers.com>:
>NASA is apparently doling the information out slowly so their
>scientists have a chance to look at the most important data first.
>If there are papers to be written based on the raw photos, the NASA
>scientists don't want to give them away without at least having
>someone peruse them first.


There's more to the reason than this. Usually astronomy datasets
involve huge amounts of 1) calibration 2) 'level one' processing
3) interpretation based on what one knows of the instrumental
characteristics.

To release raw data without someone or some people taking care
of these aspects is irresponsible and a waste of a lot of people's
time and money.

Amara

-- 

Amara Graps, PhD
Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (IFSI)
Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF),
Adjunct Assistant Professor Astronomy, AUR,
Roma, ITALIA     Amara.Graps at ifsi.rm.cnr.it