Citizen Science

March 22, 2021

Citizen Science

Citizen science

Ever wonder can general public contribute to the science community? The answer is Yes! As a citizen scientist. And if you want to become citizen scientist, this article might of help.

What is citizen science?

Citizen science is research or contribution made to scientific community by general public (non-professional scientist). This contribution or research will help scientist in their research and citizen scientists can also get credit for that. The people who do citizen science call citizen scientist. Citizen scientist can help scientist in various ways like sharing observations, data collection, identification and categorization of information, analysis of data. To become citizen scientist just only things that is crucial are your interest and willing to used spare time and energy in citizen science activities, projects.

History

In 18th ,19th centuries there is only one term called scientist: who works in the lab, present their idea about physical phenomena in term of experiment and also by publishing the papers. At that time, it’s hard to hear the discovery from non-scientist person. But the things changed from mid-20th century. Some people got involved in science as hobby not by professional. Later on, the term ‘citizen science’ was introduced in oxford dictionary.

What you can learn as citizen scientist?

As a citizen scientist, you will get opportunity to meet new people, professional scientist and researchers. This help to build community of like-minded people. And also unknowingly develop social skills, management skills, communication skills etc. Not only citizen scientist but also scientist will get know the current issues in society. New source of knowledge and different perspective may help to solve the issues or problems or can lead to new discoveries.

Why citizen scientists are important?

Science always needs different perspectives, a perspective from people builds large data collection which is much needed to observe the trends.

In projects like Galaxy zoo, which has task to just classify the galaxies based on shape, types etc. The images collected by telescopes are in billions of numbers. This is very time-consuming task for astronomers and also computers as they are not good at classification. So, making projects available to public can complete the project in a very effective way.

The citizen science projects are developed and managed by citizen science alliance. I have listed some citizen science programs below.

International asteroid search collaboration :-

Credit :- IASC

International asteroid search collaboration is citizen science platform where you can discover an asteroid. The discoveries made by analysing the image set provided by Pan-STARRS telescope located at Haleakala observatory, Hawaii. The telescope was specially dedicated for search of Near-Earth Objects.

IASC

How To participate?

In India, the space companies like SPACE, SSERD, SPACEONOVA conduct the campaign around 3 to 5 times in year you can register yourself.

On their IASC website you have to register with your team’s name and team members. Once registration is done you have to mailed them and they will allocate time for your team in next international campaign.

How To analysed image set?

Before 3 to 4 days to start campaign, they will send email which has your teams credentials and licence key and password of Astrometrica software. You need to have operating system other than mac.

Once you received image sets, using the software you have to find the moving objects(asteroids). All the instruction how to identify the correct object and other stuff have mentioned on guide (available on website). Once identified the objects, you have to prepare MPC(Minor Planet Center) report and submit it on website.

This is how you can discover the asteroid. Happy hunting!!

Zooniverse :-

credit :- zooniverse

Zooniverse is the largest citizen science web portal where you can get numerous amounts of citizen science projects. Initially, it has started with one project i.e., Galaxy Zoo. And now it hosts many citizen science project in many discipline such as arts, biology, climate, history, language, literature, medicine, nature, physics, social science, space.

Do visit the Zooniverse

How to get started?

First, you need to register yourself on the website and create account. Then you can pick up any project under different discipline (that I mentioned above). And let gets started. If you don’t have any prerequisite still you can do. Then you need to check-up beginner’s guide for the respective project.

RAD@home (Real Astronomy Discovery at home) :-

credit:- RAD@home

RAD@home or Real Astronomy Discovery at home is a research based citizen science platform. It was founded in 2013 by Dr. Ananda Hota with the objective of gathering and unleashing the potentials of STEM undergrads( from other fields also) to tackle the ‘Big data problems’ in astronomy.

How to get involved?

It easy, first you need to have enrolled in bachelor degree or completed. All the operation and other activities operated on RAD@home’s facebook group. You need to join facebook group. Once done, read the pin post which includes how to analysis of RGB images and you will also get the idea of how to do by just looking at the previous posts. Don’t ignored the comments, they are key part of learning.

How to do RGB analysis?

Before we get into analysis part first understand the what is RGB? RGB is acronym for Red Green Blue. Everything we see on screen mobile, tv ,laptop is actually combination of red green and blue colour on each pixel on screen.

I’ll explain in brief how analysis part is done. In analysis part, you need to choose galaxy. Take it from any catalogue. On nasa sky view Sky view platform you need to fill up the query form. In that you need to select different surveys (gamma, x-rays, optical, radio etc) in RGB section. And then analysed it.

This is best and most recommended citizen science platform for who wished to enter into radio astronomy. RAD@home provides opportunity to do actual research and you get to learn a lot. Do visit RAD@home

American association of variable star observation :-

Credit : -AAVSO

Around the world observers collected their observations, analysed and publish on the website of AAVSO so that this record available for professional astronomers, researchers. You can find how to get involved? how to observed? How to published? on AAVSO website. AAVSO

What are variable stars?

Variables stars are the stars that varies in their brightness over the period of time. That time can be last from seconds to years depends on the type of variable star. There are two type of variable stars based on cause of reduction in brightness are intrinsic and extrinsic. In Intrinsic the cause of reduction in brightness is due to expansion or contraction or eruption. In extrinsic the cause of reduction in brightness due to transit of exoplanet or any object.

Why to observed variable stars?

The observations can provide crucial information about star itself such as, stellar brightness, mass, temperature, composition etc.

If there is an exoplanet orbiting around the host star. The host star can provide key ingredient about the exoplanet. By looking the star when transit is happened, the light from star dims the light little bit and if we take the spectrum of that and compare with spectrum of light when no transit. We can actually determine the elements present in that planet. So, this is how observation of variable stars can play important role in exoplanet astronomy. Cephid variables played major in calculation of the distances of the stars, galaxies.

Observations can be made with visual (with help of telescope, binocular), photographic, photoelectric CCD technique.

International meteor observation :-

credit: - IMO

We all have seen meteors: a small rocky object from outer space. Almost every month has meteor shower. Now we can make the actual observation and can submit to International Meteor Observation. IMO

How to make observations?

Usually there are three ways that you can observe: visual, using photography, video. Observation made based on rates and results in meteors per hour.

The three most important parameter to record while observation. First, what type of meteor seen. There are two type of meteor based on the origin: shower member and sporadic(random). Second, the brightness of meteor. For beginner, it is often difficult to measure accurately measurement. Third one is limiting magnitude of sky. Limiting magnitude basically the magnitude of faintest star that your eyes can see.

Our naked eye is limited to observe around 6 to max. 7(pure dark sky) magnitude stars. New generation photographic and video-based observation technique can observe stars of magnitude up to 11 magnitude. They will take important details such as colours.

International occultation time association :-

IOTA is organization which provides time of astronomical occultation of object and encourage people to make observation of time occultation. IOTA

What is occultation?

An occultation is occurs when a object in space passes between the distant star by blocking its light (totally/partially) that causes reduced in brightness of star as see from the observer’s point of view.

By observing them we find its shape size and this how we can contribute to scientific community.

How to observed?

Requirement: - computer or laptop, telescope (at least 4 to 6 inch),your position from GPS, source of time signal and tape recorder.

Occultation path and time will be provided by IOTA.

Take different position by the observers in the occultation path. More the observers the more accuracy. Placed the telescope pointed towards the star. Note the timings of disappearance and reappearance of the star. Timing will depend on observer’s location. Once observation done, after combining the observations the result will look like picture as shown below.