Aladin is an interactive software sky atlas allowing the user to visualize digitized astronomical images, superimpose entries from astronomical catalogues or databases, and interactively access related data and information from the SIMBAD

SIMBAD

SIMBAD is an astronomical database of objects beyond the Solar System...

 database, the VizieR

VizieR

The VizieR Catalogue Service is an astronomical catalog service provided by Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg.The origin of the ViZieR Catalogue Service dates back to 1993 as the ESA European Space Information System Catalogue Browser...

 service and other archives for all known sources in the field.

Created in 1999, Aladin has become a widely-used VO

Virtual Observatory

Virtual observatory is a collection of interoperating data archives and software tools which utilize the internet to form a scientific research environment in which astronomical research programs can be conducted....

 portal capable of addressing challenges such as locating data of interest, accessing and exploring distributed datasets, visualizing multi-wavelength data. Compliance with existing or emerging VO standards, interconnection with other visualisation or analysis tools, ability to easily compare heterogeneous data are key topics allowing Aladin to be a powerful data exploration and integration tool as well as a science enabler.

Aladin is developed and maintained by the Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg

Centre de Données astronomiques de Strasbourg

The Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg is a data hub which collects and distributes astronomical information. It was established in 1972 under the name Centre de Données Stellaires...

 (CDS).

See also

• Centre national de la recherche scientifique
  Centre national de la recherche scientifique
  The National Center of Scientific Research is the largest governmental research organization in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe....
  
  
• Observatory of Strasbourg
  Observatory of Strasbourg
  The Observatory of Strasbourg is an astronomical observatory in Strasbourg, France.Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, the city of Strasbourg became part of the German Empire. The University of Strasbourg was refounded in 1872 and a new observatory began construction in 1875...
  
  
• SKY-MAP.ORG
  SKY-MAP.ORG
  SKY-MAP.ORG is a wiki and interactive sky map that covers more than half a billion celestial objects. Users can view the whole star sky at once and zoom in to view areas in greater detail. WikiSky includes many stars, galaxies, constellations, and planets but is still in development...
  
  
• Stellarium
  Stellarium
  Stellarium is a free software planetarium, licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License, available for Linux, Windows and Mac OS X. It uses OpenGL to render a realistic sky in real time....