Abstract

The light from stars in our Galaxy can trace the origin of the elements and the formation of stellar populations back to the earliest epochs and throughout cosmic time. Ground-based stellar surveys all over the world are following Gaia’s footsteps, collecting observational samples of steadily increasing size and quality. As I will demonstrate throughout this talk, insights can be made both by finding the needles in the haystack, the chemically peculiar or pristine stars, and by analyzing the statistical properties of large samples. I will further touch upon the progress in building realistic stellar models and efficient spectrum analysis techniques, both which are crucial for the success of any survey. The talk will focus on the GALAH survey (Galactic Archaeology with HERMES ) in particular its forthcoming third data release, containing data and accompanying science papers for a sample of more than half a million stars.