Research / Celestial standards
A common language for observation
Research teams are aligning the information that travels with an observation, from instrument state to the correction record.
What stays with a measurement
A figure can be easy to read and difficult to use. Without instrument information, processing history and uncertainty, a later team may not be able to tell whether a difference reflects the environment or the measurement method.
The Celestial Standards program works with data stewards across the portfolio on a common observation record. The standard connects a published representation with its source and makes changes in instrument state or reference explicit.
“The record should let another team understand what we did, including the decisions they might make differently.”Dr Rafael Ibarra · Director of Research
Corrections without erasure
A revision explains the change and stays connected to previous releases. This supports long-term research in which methods improve while original observations remain important.
The guidance applies to environmental measurements and expedition instruments as well as sky references. It does not turn an uncertain interpretation into a confirmed result.