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TheSkyNet


TheSkyNet (stylized theSkyNet) is an astronomy research project which uses volunteer Internet-connected computers to carry out research in astronomy. It is an initiative of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), a joint venture of Curtin University and the University of Western Australia. TheSkyNet currently has two projects, Sourcefinder and POGS. TheSkyNet Sourcefinder aims to test and refine automatic radio sourcefinding algorithms in preparation for radio galaxy surveys using the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder and the Square Kilometre Array. TheSkyNet POGS uses Spectral Energy Distribution fitting to calculate characteristics of many galaxies using images taken by the Pan-STARRS PS1 optical telescope in Hawaii.

TheSkyNet Sourcefinder project was introduced publicly on 13 September 2011, operating on a Java-based user platform, processing data using new distributed computing software called Nereus.

One year later, theSkyNet celebrated its first birthday and at the same time theSkyNet POGS project became the first public Australian based project to participate in the well established distributed computing platform BOINC. The acronym POGS is a reference to a game played with discs that originated on Maui, Hawaii, in the 1920s, and the fact that the Pan-STARRS PS1 telescope, is situated on Mount Haleakala, Maui. However, the project recast "POGS" as a backronym for "Pan-STARRS Optical Galaxy Survey".

The aim of theSkyNet POGS project is to:

The aim of theSkyNet Sourcefinder project is to:

TheSkyNet POGS distributed computing software runs continuously in the background on a computer while a user works, making use of any processor time that would otherwise be unused. It is one of many projects which utilise the Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing (BOINC) Project Management software platform, which allows users to contribute to a range of distributed computing projects at the same time. Distributed Computing is often also referred to as Citizen Science, Volunteer Computing or Grid Computing.


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