Galaxy Zoo
1. Learn the task and do some work for the project (ie. Classification). What was your impression of it? (2-3 sentences)
The basic idea of the project is simple. You look at some pictures of galaxies and you classify them based on their shapes and answers provided. The challenge is that the pictures are extremely blurry so finding features is hard which can cause one to classify them incorrectly.
2. Who are the researchers, what fields of science and engineering to they represent, and what do they provide?
Karen Masters – Principal Investigator: Astronomer, Haverford College
Interested in spiral galaxies of all kinds, red has always been her favourite colour. She’s working to disentangle the ‘true’ red spirals, from those that are reddened because we see them edge on, and along the way learn about interstellar dust, and the nature of red spirals themselves. Bars also a speciality.
Brooke Simmons – Deputy PI: Astronomer, Lancaster University
Works on understanding why and how galaxies grow, especially in tandem with their central supermassive black holes. Also interested in the changing sky and the changing Earth.
Sandor Kruk – Project Scientist: Astronomer, European Space Agency
Research Fellow at ESA interested in the visual and automated measures of galaxy morphology and peculiar galaxies.
Becky Smethurst – Deputy Project Scientist: Astronomer, University of Oxford
Research fellow working on Bayesian methods to determine star formation histories of galaxies.
Mike Walmsley – Technical Lead: Astronomer, University of Manchester
Applying machine learning for science.
Chris Lintott – Founding PI: Astronomer, University of Oxford
Runs the Zooniverse collaboration and works on how galaxies form and evolve; particularly interested in the effects of active galactic nuclei and mergers. In his ‘spare’ time, he hunts for planets, presents the BBC’s long-running Sky at Night program and plays real tennis.
Steven Bamford – Astronomer, University of Nottingham
Works on figuring out what makes galaxies look the way they do: how they formed and why they change as they get older and move to new cosmic locations. When not busy working on science or doing his bit to help run the Zooniverse, he is usually to be found entertaining his two young children or sailing a boat.
Carie Cardamone – Astronomer, Tufts University
An educator and astronomer, studying the Zoo’s green peas, interested in understanding why galaxies grow they way they do. She’s very enthusiastic about engaging the broader public in scientific research and the nature of science.
Kevin Casteels – Astronomer, University of Victoria
Interested in galaxy evolution and morphologies, specifically how they are affected by mergers and interactions. Kevin is currently working with the makers of the Starry Night astronomy software, helping to develop new astronomy apps and keep the systems running! In his spare time he is also a SCUBA instructor and loves the great outdoors.
Hugh Dickinson – Astronomer, University of Minnesota
Postdoctoral Researcher, recent convert from gamma-ray astronomy working on novel computational methods as applied to Galaxy Zoo and other Zooniverse projects.
Lucy Fortson – Astrophysicist, University of Minnesota
Interested in galaxy evolution, black holes and the jets of material beaming from the centers of active galactic nuclei. Started the Zooniverse effort at the Adler Planetarium, now bringing the light to the University of Minnesota. On the odd weekend, when she’s not preparing lecture or writing grants, Lucy can be found hanging out with her husband and son at one of Minneapolis’ fine dining establishments.
Kameswara Bharadwaj Mantha – Astrophysicist, University of Minnesota
Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota in Twin Cities with the Zooniverse team, working on developing human-computer optimized, novel deep-learning based anomaly detection frameworks. He is interested in the growth and evolution of galaxies and galaxy collisions (aka. mergers) and their role in the overall growth and development of galaxies over the Universe’s history. He also specializes in developing human-computer optimized, novel deep-learning based anomaly detection frameworks and applies them to imaging data from large scale galaxy surveys.
Melanie Galloway – Astronomer, Instructor, Hamline University, Minnesota
Visiting post-doc at UMN studying the roles AGN and morphology play in galaxy evolution. When she’s not writing code and reading papers, she spends an odd amount of time training with a sword.
Boris Häußler – Astronomer, European Southern Observatory Chile
An expert on analysing Hubble Space Telescope images and automatic morphology methods.
Sugata Kaviraj – Astronomer, University of Hertfordshire and University of Oxford
Works on the formation and evolution of galaxies.
Bill Keel – Astronomer, University of Alabama
Author of ‘The Road to Galaxy Formation’ and ‘The Sky at Einstein’s Feet’. With research interests in galaxy formation and evolution, dust content of galaxies, and active galactic nuclei, he couldn’t stay away when Galaxy Zoo got started.
Lee Kelvin – Astronomer, Liverpool John Moores University
Researcher.
Coleman Krawczyk – Astronomer, University of Portsmouth
A postdoctoral researcher at the University of Portsmouth, UK. With a background in astrophysics, he is currently working as a data scientist for the Zooniverse. In particular he is working on general purpose aggregation tools.
Peter Maksym – Astronomer, University of Alabama
Interested in the un-lives and behaviors of black holes and their habitats, amongst other things. He’s currently working on analysis of the Voorwerpjes (“little Voorwerps”) but can also be found looking for hapless stars getting ripped to shreds.
Jordan Raddick – Science Education and Outreach Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University
A science writer and educator, creator of the science projects on the SDSS SkyServer web site, and an avid science fiction reader and writer. Jordan wishes he could visit galaxies in their natural habitat.
Claudia Scarlata – Astronomer, University of Minnesota
An expert in automated morphology measures, now working on efforts to combine machine learning and human classification.
Meg Urry – Physicist, Yale University
Works on supermassive black holes (growth history, unification, relativistic jets, blazars) and their interplay with galaxies. In her spare time, she writes for CNN.com and works to increase the participation of women and minorities in science.
Ivy Wong – Astronomer, ICRAR/Perth
A Super Science Fellow in Australia, Ivy studies why galaxies start and stop forming stars, how they grow supermassive black holes in their center, and why they look like they do today, especially their radio properties. Project Scientist for Radio Galaxy Zoo
Source: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo/about/team
3. What is the role of the non-scientists/citizens in this project?
The role of non-scientists/citizens in this project is to aid with the classification of galaxies for NASA as they are busy with more important and demanding duties.
4. What does your project monitor and how? (Hint: look for the “About” section, science section, blog section and/or similar pages of the project website to provide more detail on this.)
My project doesn’t really monitor, it classifies. It obtains photos of distant galaxies obtained from telescopes, satallites, and more observation tools for citizens that participate in the project to look at them and classify them based on their shapes. Participants of the project receive guidance from other photos in order to properly classify each galaxy.
5. Why are the researchers monitoring it? In other words, what does the information they collect help them make more informed decisions about? (1-2 sentences)
The researches obtain hundreds of thousands of images of galaxies from surveys, they need help organizing them in order to study them correctly, that’s where Galaxy Zoo comes into place and with the help of people from across the world to sort out each galaxy, it facilitates the work of the researchers. The info they collect can help them improve their understanding of how galaxies work? How they behave? Can they support life? Do they look like ours? and much more.
6. How does this project benefit society? Say more than just that it provides knowledge. What practical purpose might it have? If the website does not give any hint, think about it and think of a way that it could possibly be used to benefit society. (2-3 sentences)
This project benefits society because it provides knowledge. Not only knowledge, but it aids the effort that humans have been looking for, for a really long time and that’s “are we alone in the universe?” Through the study of these galaxies, it provides a deeper understanding of the universe and this information affects society directly. Learning about the dangers, effects, and causes that are out there and at some point they could affect us all.