Citizen Scientist Finds Strange, Jupiter-Like Planet
Citizen scientist Tom Jacobs spotted a Jupiter-like exoplanet called TOI-2180 b using NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data as part of a collaboration between professional and citizen scientists. Jacobs has been volunteering as a citizen scientist since 2010.
What are citizen scientists?
Citizen scientists are ordinary people who volunteer to help make scientific discoveries by participating in projects. Oftentimes these projects will involve combing through data and images to classify it or notice patterns. Citizen scientists then record their findings, and professional scientists will use the findings for the research it is needed for.
Citizen scientists provide invaluable assistance to a plethora of research projects. These projects can be as simple as categorizing pictures, to studying data over time to notice changes or trends.
How was this discovery made?
Tom Jacobs is part of a citizen science group consisting of several citizens and two veteran astronomers called the Visual Survey Group. Most of them met while volunteering for the citizen science project Planet Hunters, a project led by NASA on Zooniverse.
