The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory will host a major international scientific gathering, Astronomical Surveys and Big Data – 3 (ASBD-3), from September 15 to 19, bringing together leading astronomers and data scientists from around the world.
This year’s conference holds special significance as it coincides with two major anniversaries in Armenian astronomy: the 60th anniversary of the groundbreaking Markarian Survey and the 20th anniversary of the Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO).
Building on the success of the inaugural ASBD conference in 2015 and its second edition in 2020, ASBD-3 has grown into one of the observatory’s flagship events. It will focus on key developments in astronomical surveys, data repositories, big data applications, and the advancement of virtual observatory systems.
Participants will explore both historical and cutting-edge astronomical datasets, with sessions dedicated to the Markarian Survey, other major observational projects, exoplanetary research, and broader topics in astronomy. The program also includes discussions on data digitization, archiving, analytics tools, and new methods for handling astronomical big data.
Among the invited speakers are internationally renowned experts such as Xavier Dupac (Spain), Clotilde Laigle (France), Vahe Petrosian (U.S.), Alex Szalay (U.S.), Chengzhue Sui (China), Michel Dennefeld (France), Lex Kaper (Netherlands), Johan Knapen (Spain), Ashish Mahabal (U.S.), and Rainer Spurzem (Germany), alongside other leading voices in the field.
The conference is jointly organized by the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, the Armenian Astronomical Society (ArAS), the Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO), the IAU South-West and Central Asian Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (SWCA ROAD), the RA Committee of Higher Education and Science, and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.
