Help

Please look at the FAQ and tutorials below to see if your question has an answer. Much of what you need to know is already available:

For help on the SkyServer or CASJobs, or to know more about SQL, consult the SkyServer DR9 Help.
If you want a list of tools for accessing the data, consult the data access documentation.
If you have questions about the nature of the data (what is a plate? what is a run?) consult the spectroscopic and imaging documentation pages.
If you have a question about a technique used in the data analysis, see if it is addressed in the algorithms documentation.
If there is a term you don't understand, try to find it in the glossary.
If you are looking at a file from SAS and want to know more about its contents, consult the survey data model.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provides answers to common questions about the SDSS-III, Data Release 9 and our data access tools.
Tutorials provide guidance and hands-on practice in accessing SDSS data for a variety of scientific and teaching tasks.

If you are unable to find answers to your questions on these pages, please email us at the SDSS helpdesk, and your question will be directed to a survey expert in the appropriate area.