Our Mission
VO Labs aims to provide reference implementations of International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) protocols. Our goal is to make it easier for astronomers, developers, and data centers to adopt and implement VO standards.
What is the IVOA?
The International Virtual Observatory Alliance (IVOA) is a global organization that aims to provide astronomers with seamless access to astronomical data archives distributed around the world. By implementing common protocols and standards, the VO enables researchers to discover, access, and analyze data from multiple sources as if they were part of a single, integrated system.
- Define and maintain data formats and protocols
- Develop data models for astronomical concepts
- Coordinate the implementation of standards
- Promote interoperability between astronomical archives
Global Collaboration
Connect data from observatories and archives worldwide
Standardized Access
Uniform protocols for querying diverse datasets
Interoperability
Tools and services that work seamlessly together
Why Reference Implementations?
While IVOA provides detailed specifications for each protocol, implementing these standards from scratch can be challenging. Our reference implementations serve several purposes:
Quick Start
Get your own service up and running quickly with a working example.
Working Examples
See how protocols work in practice with fully functional implementations.
Validated and Tested
Work from an example implementation that has been validated and tested for compliance.
Get Involved
All our implementations are open source and available on GitHub. We welcome contributions, bug reports, and feature requests!