From: genova@cluster.u-strasbg.fr Sent: 04 December 2004 11:06 To: al@roe.ac.uk Cc: Ray.Norris@atnf.csiro.au; genova@newb6.u-strasbg.fr Subject: Commission 5/Prague VO Symposium Dear Andy, Commission 5 fully supports the proposal you lead, to hold a Symposium entitled "The Virtual Observatory in action: new science, new technology, and next generation facilities" attached to the IAU General Assembly in Prague. Building the astronomical Virtual Observatory is one of the very few truly global endeavours of astronomy, and so it is very appropriate to hold the Symposium in conjunction with the IAU General Assembly. The first Virtual Observatory projects were started in 2001, and the Virtual Observatory Alliance, which groups together individual projects, was formed in 2002. The Joint Discussion "Large telescopes & Virtual Observatories: Visions for the Future" at GA XXV was a very successful forum in which the concept was presented to the worldwide astronomical community, whose feedback was useful for validation and further development. VO projects have been extremely active in the last years, and the concept is now mature enough to enable new science. It is time to present the community with the potential it offers. All sub-fields of astronomy will benefit from the VO, each bringing its own requirements to it, and the Symposium format is best suited to present and discuss all its scientific aspects and novelty. The Symposium will be an important milestone for the VO, touching the community well beyond VO projects and beyond their national borders. VO is no longer just a topic for aficionados. Instead astronomers from many different backgrounds are starting to ask what the VO will mean for them, and for their science, and how their observatory should be involved. Even more importantly, it is essential that the future directions of the VO are guided by the astronomical community as a whole. Regards, Francoise Genova Commission 5 president