Published in "Internet Resources for Professional Astronomy", eds. M.R. Kidger, I. Pérez-Fournon & F. Sánchez, Cambridge University Press, 1999. astro-ph/9807346

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Abstract. A subjective overview of Internet resources for radio-astronomical information is presented. Basic observing techniques and their implications for the interpretation of publicly available radio data are described, followed by a discussion of existing radio surveys, their level of optical identification, and nomenclature of radio sources. Various collections of source catalogues and databases for integrated radio source parameters are reviewed and compared, as well as the WWW interfaces to interrogate the current and ongoing large-area surveys. Links to radio observatories with archives of raw (uv-) data are presented, as well as services providing images, both of individual objects or extracts (``cutouts'') from large-scale surveys. While the emphasis is on radio continuum data, a brief list of sites providing spectral line data, and atomic or molecular information is included. The major radio telescopes and surveys under construction or planning are outlined. A summary is given of a search for previously unknown optically bright radio sources, as performed by the students as an exercise, using Internet resources only. Over 200 different links are mentioned and were verified, but despite the attempt to make this report up-to-date, it can only provide a snapshot of the current situation.

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• OBSERVING TECHNIQUES AND MAP INTERPRETATION
• Single Dishes versus Interferometers
• Special Techniques in Radio Interferometry
• Mosaicing
• Map Interpretation
• Intercomparison of Different Observations and Pitfalls
• Linear Polarisation of Radio Emission
• Cross-Identification Strategies
• RADIO CONTINUUM SURVEYS
• Historical Evolution
• Radio Source Nomenclature: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Major Radio Surveys
• Surveys from Low to High Frequencies: Coverage and Content
• Optical Identification Content
• Galactic Plane Surveys and Galactic Sources
• Modern Large-Scale Discrete Source Surveys: NVSS, FIRST, WENSS and SUMSS
• The ``WENSS'' Survey at 325-350MHz
• The ``NRAO VLA Sky Survey'' at 1.4GHz (NVSS)
• The ``FIRST'' Survey at 1.4GHz
• The ``SUMSS'' 843MHz Survey with ``MOST''
• INTEGRATED SOURCE PARAMETERS ON THE WEB
• The Evolution of Electronic Source Catalogues
• Searching in Radio Catalogues: VizieR and CATS
• Object Databases: NED, SIMBAD, and LEDA
• MISCELLANEOUS DATABASES AND SURVEYS OF RADIO SOURCES
• Clusters of Galaxies
• VLBI and Astrometric Surveys
• Gravitational Lens Surveys
• Variable Sources and Monitoring Projects
• Solar Radio Data
• RAW DATA, SOFTWARE, IMAGES AND SPECTRAL LINE DATA
• Radio Observatories and their Archives
• Archives of Centimetre- and Metre-wave Telescopes/Arrays
• Archives of (Very) Long Baseline Interferometers
• Millimetre Telescopes and Arrays
• Software for Radio Astronomy
• Radio Images on the Internet
• Images from Large-scale Surveys
• Image Galleries of Individual Sources
• Spectral Lines
• Neutral Hydrogen (HI)
• Molecular and Recombination Lines, and Pulsars
• FINDING LITERATURE, ADDRESSES, AND PROPOSAL FORMS ON WWW
• Relevant Literature on the Internet
• Finding Radio Astronomers around the World
• Proposing Observations with Radio Telescopes
• THE NEAR AND FAR FUTURE OF RADIO SURVEYS AND TELESCOPES
• Continuing or Planned Large-scale Surveys
• Very Recent Medium-Deep Multi-Waveband Source Surveys
• Extending the Frequency Range of the Radio Window
• Spectral Line and Pulsar Surveys
• CMB and Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect
• Radio Telescopes: Planned, under Construction or being Upgraded
• Low and Intermediate Frequencies
• Where the Action is: Millimetre Telescopes and Arrays
• Space Projects
• Nomenclature and Databases
• SUMMARY OF PRACTICALS
• CONCLUSIONS
• REFERENCES