Skip to Main Content

Physics & Astronomy

Data repositories in physics are slightly anomalous. Unlike those in some disciplines who reuse existing data, researchers in physics typically produce their own data for each investigation they conduct, and there is rarely an effort to make those data accessible beyond what is immediately needed to support an investigation's conclusion. However, this does not mean that public repositories don't exist. In fact, many astronomy projects (especially government-affiliated ones) go to great lengths to make their data easily accessible, either through a dedicated website for the project or, in some cases, as part of a more general collection. This page contains links to some of these repositories, separated by their generality. A handful of general, non-astronomical physics data repositories are also included.**

General Astronomical Data

These repositories each contain many types of astronomical data. They often serve as meta-collections of various specialized or single-project repositories. This is a good place to start if you are not sure what specific kind of data you are looking for, or if you are looking for many different types of data.

Specialized Astronomical Data

These repositories each either host a very limited range of astronomical data types or act as a repository for a specific project. Look here if you have a good idea of what type of data you are looking for, or if your research requires data from a specific source.

Non-Astronomical Physics Data

These repositories host physics data outside the realm of astronomy. In most cases, this data takes the form of very general quantities related to atomic and nuclear physics, but it can also include e.g. thermondynamic properties of certain materials.