New in this Release
SciServer Altair v1.10.0 includes new and updated modules for SciServer Compute, providing you with new features for your Compute notebooks. The new SkyQuery module lets you programmatically access the SkyQuery astronomical cross-matching tool, with which you can match objects in multiple astronomical surveys using advanced Bayesian algorithms. Updates to the SkyServer modules enables you interact with SDSS data in new ways, such as searching by object ID or generating thumbnail images. Lastly, Compute Notebooks are easier to work with now that user authentication happens automatically.We have updated our Terms of Use & Other Policies.
See the list below for a guide to what has changed, and also see SciServer API documentation for updated SciScript and CasJobs API documentation.
Change Log
- SciServer Terms of Use Other: Please view our Non-Commercial Use Policy and other policies.
- SciServer Data Storage Policy Other: Please review our Data Storage Policy and other policies.
- Compute: SkyQuery API module New: A new module installed in the SciServer Compute backend allows you to use all the features of the SkyQuery astronomical cross-matching engine from within Compute notebooks. Versions are available in the Python 2, Python 3, and R images of Compute. See the SkyQuery API documentation for more information.
- Compute: Automated user authentication New: User authentication in Compute notebooks is now done automatically. You no longer need to log in manually by calling methods in the LoginPortal module. Auto-authentication is accomplished through the new SciServer Authenticate module.
- Compute: Error checking in HTTP responses New: New in all Compute modules for all images (Python 2, Python 3, R): when the API encounters an error status from an HTTP response, it throws an exception and returns an appropriate error message.
- Compute: New methods added New: Various new methods have been added to the SciServer.CasJobs and SciServer.SciDrive modules. New methods in SciServer.CasJobs include CasJobs.canceljob. New methods in SciServer.SciDrive include SciDrive.directoryList and SciDrive.delete. All these new methods can be invoked in any script in SciServer Compute. See the SciServer API documentation for a full list.
- Compute: small changes to inputs and outputs in some modules Update: Various methods have updated input and output parameters, including CasJobs.executeQuery. See the SciServer API documentation for a full list.
- Compute: LoginPortal module deprecated Update: With the addition of the new SciServer.Authentication module for automatic user authentication, the old LoginPortal module is now deprecated. It is maintained for legacy code only.
- Compute: New update scripts New: To ensure backward compatibility, update scripts are provided that can install the proper libraries for the latest versions of all modules. See the SciServer API documentation for more information on how to update your notebooks.
- Compute: New methods for accessing SkyServer New: A new SkyServer module allows you to access SDSS data from Compute notebooks using the same functionalities as the SkyServer website: radial/rectangular search, search for objects by objID or plate/MJD/spectrum, and generate thumbnail images. These new features are available in the Python 2, Python 3, and R images. See the SkyServer module documentation for more information.
- SkyServer: Finding Chart image width and height fixed Bug Fix: Previously in the SkyServer Finding Chart, the controls for setting width and height of the returned image were reversed. This bug has now been fixed.
- SkyServer: Image Cutout returns clearer error codes Bug Fix: The Image Cutout web service, which forms the backend of all SkyServer visual tools (e.g. Navigate, Finding Chart) has been updated to give error codes that provide more information for debugging. Error code 500 means an internal error, while error code 404 means that the requested coordinates are not in the SDSS footprint.
- SkyServer: Link to local data model fixed Bug Fix: In the SkyServer Help pages, the link to the local version of the SDSS data model has been fixed.