Citizen astronomers see moment star explodes by playing ‘spot the difference'
The volunteers had joined the Kilonova Seekers project to identify cosmic explosions of neutron stars and black holes colliding in distant galaxies.
They managed to identify a cataclysmic variable star, named GOTO0650, which had undergone 'extreme brightening' compared to an image taken just two days before.
The results have been published in a paper in the scientific journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.
A cataclysmic variable star is a binary star system made up of a white dwarf primary and a secondary star which are so close to each other that the gravity of the white dwarf distorts the second one.
For the Kilonova Seekers project, members of the public are asked to compare data from two gravitational-wave optical transient observer (GOTO) telescopes – one in La Palma in the Canary Islands and the other at Australia's Siding Spring Observatory.
More than 3,500 people take part in the project from countries around the world.
Professor Laura Nuttall, from the University of Portsmouth, said: 'I'm really proud of everything Kilonova Seekers is achieving.
'We're engaging with people in just about every time zone, and thanks to their enthusiasm for the project, they are making discoveries and contributing to furthering our understanding of astrophysics.'
Dr Lisa Kelsey, from the University of Cambridge, said: 'Citizen science is a powerful way to make novel serendipitous discoveries in vast datasets that would normally need to be analysed in depth by scientists.
'With over 2.8 million classifications so far, the discovery of GOTO0650 is really the pinnacle of two years of consistent hard work from our volunteers.
'Without the Kilonova Seekers volunteers flagging this object, rapid follow-up would not have been possible, and this object may have been missed entirely.'
Co-lead of Kilonova Seekers, Dr Tom Killestein, at the University of Warwick, said: 'Kilonova Seekers is a unique opportunity for members of the public to take part in true real-time astrophysics.
'Remarkably, public volunteers identified this star as an object of interest within three and a half hours of the image being taken by the GOTO telescopes – this discovery could have been missed among many other objects without their efforts.'
Volunteer Cledison Marcos da Silva said: 'This discovery was very important to me, as I was going through a serious health problem and the citizen science we do at Kilonova Seekers was distracting me from my situation.
'I never imagined that we would discover such a bright transient, so it was a huge surprise, and we were very happy when we found out.
'This discovery shows the importance of citizen science, both scientifically and personally. Even from your bed, or on the street with your cell phone, there is the possibility of making a very important discovery.'
Another participant Mayahuel Torres-Guerrero said: 'It was very exciting when GOTO0650 produced an echo outburst on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. It was a great journey for someone who has studied social sciences like me.'
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