Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Cloudy Nights - Official Forums of the 2009 International Year of Astronomy Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu.... uh, User   You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Other >> Science of Astronomy & Space exploration Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 maureenford scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 04/27/05 Posts: 756 Loc: New Paltz, NY Chance to help the Professionals       #2368834 - 05/03/08 12:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Not sure which forum to post this to but just got the alumni magazine from Johns Hopkins University, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Science. There is a FABULOUS article in there about how amateurs are helping professionals by identifying the types of galaxies seen in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. One Dutch amateur astronomer noticed an unusual blue blob in one of the pictures and the professionals couldn't identify it so it's now been called "Hanny's Voorwoop" (Dutch for object.) It seems the primary purpose of the site is to go through the tremendous amount of data collected by Sloan and then catagorize the types of galaxies. Another search object was to look for rare blue elliptical galaxies. Anyway, there's a lot more to be done. All 118,000 volunteers are listed as co-authors on every paper published by including a link to a site with all their names. Seems like this might be of interest to some of the folks on this site. Please check it out: www.galaxyzoo.com Maureen PS Mods please feel free to move this to a forum where it will get the most exposure. Thanks! -------------------- Discovery 12.5" TD on Scopebuggy with Argo Navis and Feathertouch focuser 27mmPan, 13mm & 8mmEthos, 6mm Radian Howie Glatter laser and Blug Coronado PST Post Extras:       maureenford scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 04/27/05 Posts: 756 Loc: New Paltz, NY Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: maureenford]       #2368906 - 05/03/08 01:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Sorry had the wrong site address: http://www.galaxyzoo.org Just signed up myself. There's a great tutorial in how to identify various types of galaxies. Its kind of addictive and fun. Maureen -------------------- Discovery 12.5" TD on Scopebuggy with Argo Navis and Feathertouch focuser 27mmPan, 13mm & 8mmEthos, 6mm Radian Howie Glatter laser and Blug Coronado PST Post Extras:       desertstars Deja moo Reged: 11/05/03 Posts: 30031 Loc: Tucson, AZ Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: maureenford]       #2369297 - 05/03/08 05:32 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This was relocated here from the Beginner's Forum. -------------------- Tom W. SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor Under the Desert Stars Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive. Post Extras:       AleX`G scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 05/29/06 Posts: 877 Loc: Scotland UK Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: desertstars]       #2369560 - 05/03/08 08:08 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Very cool website it seems a good idea but i would have thought theyd be able to write a program to classify galaxies with at least as good an accuracy as an amatuer. -------------------- ------------------------- Celestron/Vixen 102 f9.8 Vixen GP Canon EF300mm f4L USM (non IS) Canon 300D ------------------------- Never express yourself more clearly than you think. - Niels Bohr Post Extras:       calder member Reged: 12/13/05 Posts: 81 Loc: Schuylkill County, PA Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: AleX`G]       #2369588 - 05/03/08 08:28 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   It seems that humans are better at recognizing patterns better than computer programs but it also seems that humans also introduce their own bias as to the direction of rotation of galaxies. This is according to an article which appeared in Universe Today. Here is the link to the article Link Universe Today I have been considering joining in the classification process. Cool! Clear skies, Robert -------------------- Meade 295 (dust collector) B&L Criterion 4000 (grab & go) Celestron 9.25 CGE (work in progress) Stellarview 102ED FT focuser (sweet) Stellarview 70ED (Waiting for first light) Canon F1 Mamiya 645 Stiletto Post Extras:       maureenford scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 04/27/05 Posts: 756 Loc: New Paltz, NY Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: calder]       #2369609 - 05/03/08 08:38 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes, they did address that in the article. They showed people mirror reversed images of the same galaxy and still people saw more countercloclwise galaxies. I signed up for it. There's a great tutorial and I thought it would hone my observing skills while I make a small contribution to science. Maureen -------------------- Discovery 12.5" TD on Scopebuggy with Argo Navis and Feathertouch focuser 27mmPan, 13mm & 8mmEthos, 6mm Radian Howie Glatter laser and Blug Coronado PST Post Extras:       The bear professor emeritus Reged: 02/11/08 Posts: 727 Loc: rushville, indiana Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: maureenford]       #2403979 - 05/18/08 03:39 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   thank you i love this good practice for the newbie i think doc -------------------- Longitude -85.42786 Latitude 39.59153 when all else fails use duct tape "works for me" Post Extras:       Matthew Ota sage Reged: 04/30/05 Posts: 203 Loc: New Hampshire Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: The bear]       #2502399 - 07/06/08 11:43 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Good project for amateur astronomers to take part in if they have the time to devote to it. Unfortunetley, I don't -------------------- Matthew Ota 10 inch Meade LX250GPS SCT (LX50/LX200GPS clone) f6.3-Orion 80ED, ETX-90 OTA, Coronado Helios 1 H-alpha Solar Telescope Cassini Huygens Saturn Observation Campaign New Hampshire Astronomical Society Post Extras:       Octavarium member Reged: 08/02/08 Posts: 62 Loc: East Haven, CT Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: Matthew Ota]       #2630581 - 09/08/08 11:17 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Awesome link! I just signed up and passed the tutorial test, I did about 40 already. No mergers yet, mostly distant ellipticals with some nice sprials and edge on sprials -------------------- Meade ETX-125PE Series 4000 plossol eyepiece/filter set Post Extras:       Octavarium member Reged: 08/02/08 Posts: 62 Loc: East Haven, CT Re: Chance to help the Professionals [Re: Octavarium]       #2630613 - 09/08/08 11:31 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Actually what do you guys think of this one? I put just elliptical, it appears the other 3 are close though. Possibly on collision course or going the other way? http://cas.sdss.org/astro/en/tools/explore/obj.asp?id=587728932417175746 -------------------- Meade ETX-125PE Series 4000 plossol eyepiece/filter set Post Extras:       Pages: 1 Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 1 registered and 1 anonymous users are browsing this forum. Moderator:  llanitedave  Print Thread Forum Permissions       You cannot start new topics       You cannot reply to topics       HTML is disabled       UBBCode is enabled Thread views: 942 Jump to *International Year of Astronomy 2009* -----   Global Coordination   Cornerstone Projects   Special Projects   Special Task Groups   Global Activities   National and Regional Activities   IYA 2009 in Africa   IYA 2009 in the USA*Announcements and News* -----   Cloudy Nights Announcements   Discussion of CN Articles, Reviews, and Reports   Beginners Forum   Celestial Events   Light Pollution*Equipment Discussions* -----   ATM, Optics and DIY Forum   Binoculars   Binoviewers   Cats & Casses   Classic Telescopes   Equipment   Eyepieces   Mounts   Observatories   Reflectors   Refractors    Celestron SkyScout and Meade mySky   Video and Electronically Assisted Astronomy*Astrophotography and Sketching* -----   Beginning Imaging   Film Astrophotography   DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing   CCD Imaging & Processing   Solar System Imaging & Processing   Sketching   Astro Imaging/Sketching Contest *Observing* -----   General Observing   Planetary and Solar System Observing   Lunar Observing   Deep Sky Observing   Double Star Observing   Solar   Variable Star Observing and Radio Astronomy*Telescope Specific Forums* -----   Celestron NexStar    NexStar GPS / CPC Telescopes   Questar Forum   Meade ACF/RCX / LX / GPS    Meade ETX*Other* -----   Science of Astronomy & Space exploration   AstroWebsites   Space Rocks*Speciality Forums* -----   AstroArt   Astronomy Software & Computers   Stellar Media   Astro Outreach, Clubs and Star Parties*CN Feedback and Vendor Announcements* -----   Vendor and Group Announcements Home

Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics