E90 - Simon O'Toole - From Telescope to Data Centre - Adventures in Astronomical Data Pipelines

There is no industry in the world that doesn’t take advantage of
data and analytics. However, if asked, off the top of your head,
you’d probably say;


“Retail uses data!”


“Healthcare must use data!”


And so on.


But have you ever looked up into the night sky, gloried at the
far-off stars and wondered…


What about the data in the stars?


It’s easy to forget about what’s right under our noses - or above
our noses in this case. Now that you’ve been reminded, your mind
is abuzz with questions!


So, how do astronomers use data to research the universe beyond
what we can and can’t see from our kitchen window?
Meet Simon O’Toole Simon’s Role as a Data Science Leader at
Australian Astronomical Optics

Simon O’Toole is the Head of Data & IT at Australian
Astronomical Optics - Macquarie. The Australian Astronomical
Observatory (AAO) provides world-class optical and infrared
observing facilities that enable Australian astronomers to carry
out excellent science. AAO is a world leader in astronomical
research and in the development of innovative telescope
instrumentation. Macquarie University partners with the AAO
Department within the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
Simon’s Other Work in the Data Industry

​


Previously, at AAO, Simon has also taken on the roles of Senior
Specialist Research Systems Engineer, Web, eResearch &
Information Administrator, Project Scientist for Data Central,
Deputy Gemini Scientist, and a Research Fellow. Here, he has
contributed a variety of work, including carrying out media
interviews, researching planets, conducting school presentations,
driving technical innovation, and developing systems.


In addition to his work at AAO, Simon has over 200 published
research papers, with many having a focus on astronomy. Some of
his earliest written work includes research on old hot stars
using data from space telescopes such as the Hubble Space
Telescope and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, while
his most recent at the time of writing is on the detectability of
eclipsing binary star companions from eclipse timing variations.
Data Science, Astronomy Data, and Telescopes In this exclusive
analytics podcast episode, Simon shares:

His role as the Head of Data & IT at Australian
Astronomical Optics

Data Central as an eResearch platform

How Astronomy Data is classic Big Data

The two branches of Astrophysics

Use cases of the merger of black holes/neutron stars and
supernova explosions

Why data processing is important in these cases

Types of Astronomical Data formats

How data acquisition works in Astronomy Data

The challenges faced in Astronomy Data work and how they are
overcome

Future challenges that will be faced in the industry



If you are already a data scientist or an aspiring one interested
in the astronomy industry and the challenges they face, this is
the episode you do not want to miss out on.