Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Michael Gold, Feb 24, 2010
British astronomers have shed new light on an intriguing quirk in the anatomy of certain galaxies: a structure that looks like a bar running through a galaxy’s center. But how the researchers formulated their findings is just as interesting as the findings themselves. Their report is based on an analysis of a mountain of astronomical … Read more “Citizen scientists power cosmic research”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Other
By Darlene Cavalier, Feb 22, 2010
Have you ever seen the Milky Way from where you live? Most of us have not and it’s largely due to increased light pollution from outdoor lighting. Light pollution not only wastes between 2 to 10 billion dollars a year in energy and money but it causes human sleep disorders and disrupts habits critical to … Read more “View the Milky Way, help stem light pollution!”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
By Darlene Cavalier, Feb 12, 2010
Yesterday, New Scientist magazine announced the latest project in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: SETI Quest: SETIQuest is the product of astronomer Jill Tarter’s TED Prize wish. After being awarded the TED Prize last year, Tarter was given the opportunity to make a single wish before an auditorium full of the top names in technology … Read more “Announcing SETI Quest”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science
By Michael Gold, Jan 29, 2010
It had been more than 10 years since the two-star system known as U Scorpii had erupted into one of its unpredictable bursts of brightness. Then yesterday morning, two amateur astronomers in Florida observed this “recurrent nova” come to life. Barbara Harris spotted it first and Shawn Dvorak soon confirmed. They notified the American Association … Read more “Amateur Astronomers First to Spot Starry Outburst”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science
By Michael Gold, Jan 26, 2010
Most of the time, you can freely choose your own citizen science project (see our Project Finder). But every now and then, a project crashes through the ceiling… and chooses you. That’s what happened to a couple of doctors about a week ago in Lorton, Virginia, when a meteor traveling faster than 200 miles an … Read more “The meteor and the doctors”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science
By Michael Gold, Jan 11, 2010
Did you know that you can often see the International Space Station in the night sky? I’ve known that for a while, but I never think to look up at the right time. Here’s a cool solution I just came across: space station alerts via Twitter. Twisst will tweet you an advance summary of good … Read more “Twitter alert: Here comes the space station!”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Computers & Technology
