Astronomy is probably the scientific discipline most dependent upon, and advanced by, amateurs. The field regularly relies on enthusiastic amateurs to make discoveries about comets, asteroids and other points of interest. Now, computers and the web have made it possible for citizen scientists and amateur astronomers to contribute far more than ever before.
A just-launched project, Galaxy Zoo 2, (which was in its beta version until today) asks volunteers to make basic observations about photographs of galaxies online. The first Galaxy Zoo asked users to note shapes and other traits of different galaxies, such as whether they are elliptical or spiral, which is surprisingly hard for computer programs to do. Researchers use these classifications to learn more about the formation and nature of galaxies.
The site, run by several universities, saw over 80 million classifications by over 150,000 ‘armchair astronomers’ in the last year and a half, according to an AAS press release.
One of the founders, Chris Lintott, a researcher at Oxford University and one of the founders of Galaxy Zoo (check out his blog here) says in the press release:
The first Galaxy Zoo provided us with a Rough Guide to the sky and now we want our users to fill in all the details and create a real Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxies.
Other places for amateur astronomers to contribute include the SETI project, where users can donate some of their regular PC power to look for signs of extraterrestrial life, and the SLOOH website, through which anyone can purchase telescope minutes to take pictures of space.
There is so much raw data available in the space all around us, accessible by just a cheap telescope, binoculars and now the web, that amateur astronomers will be an integral part of the field for a long time. (And those of us tired of the cold or mosquitoes, backaches and the painstaking process of calibrating a ‘scope can still contribute!)
