next generation of Sky in Google Earth

[Alberto Conti]

Moved this thread to apps, as requested.

>> Google has given us a new IVOA standard, it's KML, and we'd better  
>> get used to the idea.  Possibly the IVOA should accept the status  
>> quo and officially adopt it. It might give us a (very) little bit  
>> more leverage.
> This I find a strange set of statements. Google has not "given us"  
> anything.
> Rather I would say they have made a somewhat ropy standard without  
> external consultation, a standard that does not carry rich metadata  
> and has very poor image support.

Version 2.2 of KML allows for user defined fields and has a much  
better support of metadata.
As for image support, I honestly think it's way better than VOTable.  
The key is that is was produced with very little input from the  
community (a mistake indeed, but one that I am not sure was  
avoidable) because KML was already a standard for the GIS community  
and the roots of GSky are in GEarth. Besides, if I recall correctly,  
when GoogleSky was first presented there was little interest to  
collaborate with industry on this.

> Obviously we astronomers are forced into using this hand-me-down  
> from the geo people, because Google has billions of dollars and  
> billions of customers.
not really. The astronomical community is small enough that it can go  
on and develop their own standards regardless of efforts from Google  
(or Microsoft for that matter): no one will care outside astronomy  
what standard we use. On the other hand, if we want to be able to  
reach a wider audience, for outreach in the short term for example,  
then we need to pay attention of what others are doing. Microsoft's  
WWT I believe will also support KML but perhaps they will come out  
with their own standard that will be better than KML. Is anyone  
engaging the WWT in the NVO to make sure that if it's not KML  
astronomers have a voice?

> Surely what we need is not just a blanket Recommendation of KML as  
> it exists now, but rather VO representation at the OGC meetings?  
> Does anyone know anyone at OGC?
>
I might. Looking into it.
-A

> Roy
>
> -- 
>
> California Institute of Technology
> 626 395 3670
>

Dr Alberto Conti
Community Missions Office
Space Telescope Science Institute
contact | tel: 410-338-4534 | aim: wscience