Citizen Scientists Make Breakthrough in Rare Exploding Star Discovery
A rare exploding star, GOTO0650, was discovered through a collaboration between professional astronomers and citizen scientists, highlighting the significant role of public participation in astrophysics. The discovery was made possible by the Kilonova Seekers project, where volunteers identified a dramatic brightness increase in a binary star system, leading to further observations and insights into the behavior of cataclysmic variable stars. This achievement underscores the power of crowdsourced science and the potential for ordinary people to contribute to major scientific breakthroughs.
