TAMPA, Fla. — You no longer have to be an astrophysicist to study the mysteries of the universe. The University of Tampa has launched a citizen science project, and all you need to join is a passion for astronomy.
The program is called Burst Chasers.
Gamma Ray Bursts, one of the brightest and most powerful explosions in the universe, are captured on space telescopes every day. But UT Assistant Professor of Physics Amy Lien said despite how common they are, there is still so much left to discover.
“We finally go through these bursts, and then more are coming in,” said Lien.
So Lien and her students started the online citizen science project. You don’t have to have an astronomy background or even a college degree because Lien will teach you everything you need to look for.
“Everything is going to be on our website. It should be kind of easy to use,” said Lien.
They said the response was overwhelming—more than 1,000 people signed up in the first 10 days.
“It was really mind-blowing because, in two hours, there were 20,000 classifications on it. I just didn’t know there would be so many people who would be invested in classifying these bursts and seeing how interesting it is,” said student Carter Murawski.
For student Sebastian Reisch, it was a great way to finally explain to his non-physics friends what kind of work he does.
“They think of it as only nerd talk, so it's nice to see that as an easy gateway, so they can see exactly what I do,” said Reisch.
Once UT reaches a certain number of gamma-ray classifications, they plan to release a catalog of findings, and they hope to include the names of all those burst chasers who helped along the way.
“I do feel like astronomy and science should belong to the general public, so if we can share our joy with all of you, I think it’s a good thing,” said Lien.
For more information on becoming a Burst Chaser, click here.
