The Astrophysical Virtual Observatories (AVOs) have been created in a number of countries using their available databases and current observing material as a collection of interoperating data archives and software tools to form a research environment in which complex research programs can be conducted. Among all these data, a large spectroscopic database for all objects will be especially useful. The Armenian Virtual Observatory (ArVO) has being created to utilize the Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) as an appropriate spectroscopic database. 

 

ArVO is a project of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) aimed at construction of a modern system for data archiving, extraction, acquisition, reduction, use and publication. ArVO is based on the Digitized First Byurakan Survey (DFBS) and is the Armenian contribution to the International Virtual Observatories Alliance (IVOA). One of the ArVO's main tasks is to create and utilize a global Spectroscopic Virtual Observatory, which will combine data from DFBS and other low-dispersion spectroscopic databases, as well as provide the first understanding on the nature of any object up to B=18^m.

 

In frame of the ArVO, BAO collaborates with the Institute of Information Technologies (IIT) of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences to develop software for ArVO corresponding to the IVOA standards.

 

Beside the DFBS, ArVO is being complemented by the Digitized Second Byurakan Survey (SBS) database, the Byurakan photographic archive, and the Byurakan Observatory 2.6m telescope observations, and will be a part of the International Virtual Observatories Alliance (IVOA).

 

The DFBS database has to be used together with other available data on the Internet, which are being accessed through AVOs. The ArVO project includes the creation of a database of digitized FBS spectra and its integration in AVOs, creation of a user interface with a full access to all DFBS data as well as all existing data from other databases. DFBS may be a major contribution to AVOs, giving full access to its data by the astronomical community, including the possibility of preliminary classification of any <18^m object for further study, and the possibility of selecting objects of needed types from the DFBS. A quick optical identification of radio, IR or X-ray sources will be possible by plotting their positions on the DFBS plate and matching all available data. For this, an automatic identification procedure for non-optical sources will be worked out allowing identification for ~100,000 sources. An automatic search for new bright AGN in DFBS and a complete sample of V<17.5^m AGN over 10,000 deg² area are one of the main ArVO tasks as well.