We propose to maintain and enhance the SkyView virtual telescope. SkyView allows astronomers and the general public quick, convenient access to astronomical images taken by NASA and international satellites and from the ground.
Users can choose any coordinate system, scale, projection, and orientation they desire.
SkyView addresses the tedious geometric concerns of projection, resampling, and mosaicking of data. SkyView provides substantial capabilities for smoothing, color-table manipulation, and image and catalog overlays. During the past several years SkyView has become an essential element of the Web science infrastructure. It currently generates nearly 1,000 images each day and is frequently cited in the scientific literature. SkyView currently works in a client-server mode with users sending requests to the service and receiving annotated images in return.