The GLORIA ('Global robotic telescopes intelligent array for e-Science') project, led by Spain's Facultad de Informática of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), seeks to create an open access network for astronomical observations. In particular, the GLORIA consortium will provide amateur astronomers with the means to study astronomy using robotic telescopes or by evaluating astronomical data available in both GLORIA's and other groups' public databases.

In order to push forward the free access to scientific data as well as research opportunities via a virtual community, the GLORIA ('Global robotic telescopes intelligent array for e-Science') project, which has clinched €2.5 million under the 'Research infrastructures' Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7), plans to offer access to a budding number of robotic telescopes via a Web 2.0 environment on four continents by 2014.

The GLORIA consortium, which is led by Spain's Facultad de Informática of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), relies on the know-how of the Montegancedo Observatory that is housed at the Facultad de Informática. The observatory is the first-ever free open-access astronomical observatory. Ciclope Astro software, which is maintained by the UPM's Ciclope group, controls the observatory remotely. The scientists stressed that the world robotic telescope network will also use this software. They plan to will provide amateur astronomers with the means to study astronomy using robotic telescopes or by evaluating astronomical data available in both GLORIA's and other groups' public databases. Moreover, thanks to this research, Europeans will have the opportunity to exploit their collective intelligence and fuel participation in astronomical research based on data analysis and astronomical observations.

17 telescopes will make up the network that is being eyed by 'internauts' the world over. The first of these robotic telescopes is scheduled to go online via the network within a year. Besides the 17 telescopes, the project will run another two user experiments that will be managed by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Researchers at Oxford created Galaxy Zoo, an online initiative that invites members to classify around 500,000 galaxies.