“Unveiling Galactic Mysteries: GALAXY CRUISE Teams Up with Citizen Astronomers”

GALAXY CRUISE, in collaboration with citizen astronomers, has embarked on a cosmic journey to unravel the enigmatic nature of galaxies. Through the utilization of advanced images captured by the Subaru Telescope, this pioneering project has unearthed a profound revelation: galaxies exhibit heightened activity during their celestial mergers. This newfound understanding sheds light on the rich diversity that graces our universe, owed in large part to the eons-long dance of galaxies colliding and combining.

Since its inception in 2019, GALAXY CRUISE, spearheaded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), has been charting the cosmic seas with a cadre of citizen astronomers. Armed with the remarkable imagery from the Subaru Telescope and armed with the precise galaxy classifications contributed by these dedicated citizen astronomers, professional researchers have unequivocally confirmed that galaxies come alive with vigor when they engage in cosmic mergers.

These groundbreaking findings have been documented in the inaugural scientific paper from GALAXY CRUISE, making the citizen astronomers’ classifications publicly accessible for the global astronomical community to explore and potentially make their own discoveries.

Galactic Diversity and Citizen Involvement

The universe is an eclectic tapestry of galaxies, each with its own unique characteristics. Some galaxies present as red elliptical forms, while others exhibit the graceful spirals of blue. There are also galaxies with less defined shapes, adding to the cosmic diversity. This variety, it is now believed, arises from the long-term interplay of galaxies merging and colliding. However, the precise roles of these interactions have remained elusive, primarily because interacting galaxies are rare and challenging to identify.

In a quest to overcome this challenge, GALAXY CRUISE enlisted the support of citizen astronomers to detect interacting galaxies within the deep images captured by the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) on the Subaru Telescope.

Though citizen astronomers lack the professional pedigree, they proved their mettle through rigorous training provided by seasoned astronomers. Once they had passed the training, these citizen scientists received their boarding passes to join GALAXY CRUISE.

Over the course of the project’s initial 2.5 years, approximately 10,000 citizen astronomers delved into the cosmos, contributing over 2 million classifications. Such a vast dataset would have been unattainable without the collective efforts of these citizen astronomers.

Research Findings and Significance

Dr. Masayuki Tanaka, the visionary behind GALAXY CRUISE, meticulously analyzed the classifications provided by citizen astronomers and found their work to be remarkably accurate, as demonstrated in Figure 2. The quality of HSC images proved instrumental in achieving this high level of accuracy.

Interacting galaxies, the focal point of GALAXY CRUISE, often assume distorted forms with telltale features such as tidal tails when they collide and merge. These features, faint and diffuse, can easily elude detection. Yet, thanks to the exceptional sensitivity and angular resolution of HSC images, GALAXY CRUISE successfully captured these subtle details.

Notably, citizen astronomers identified that many galaxies previously considered “normal” in past studies exhibited signs of interaction. Furthermore, they pinpointed galaxies currently in the throes of tumultuous mergers, as showcased in Figure 3. These violent mergers, with their significantly distorted shapes and complex structures, represent an exceedingly rare phenomenon. The extent of this discovery exemplifies the potency of visual classifications performed by a multitude of citizen astronomers.

The data from interacting galaxies revealed a heightened level of star formation activity and increased activity of supermassive black holes. Intriguingly, this heightened activity was most pronounced in violent mergers akin to those depicted in Figure 3. It appears that the final coalescence of a merger event marks the zenith of internal galactic activity. These remarkable findings have been documented in the project’s inaugural scientific paper, marking a milestone not only for astronomers but also for the citizen astronomers who participated.

Challenges and Future Endeavors

Dr. Tanaka acknowledged the myriad efforts to comprehend the dynamics of star formation and black hole activities in merging galaxies. However, discrepancies in research findings often arose due to challenges in identifying mergers, differing definitions of mergers, and variations in analytical methodologies. GALAXY CRUISE’s approach of visual classification, though time-intensive, proved to be a potent method for identifying mergers. Coupled with the high-quality HSC imagery, it yielded a more robust merger sample, leading to the unequivocal confirmation of mergers enhancing galactic internal activities.

The GALAXY CRUISE classification catalog, along with the publication of the paper, has been made accessible to the public. Professional astronomers worldwide stand to benefit from these high-quality classifications, which may pave the way for further discoveries.

This endeavor underscores the vital role that public citizens can play in scientific research, as demonstrated by GALAXY CRUISE. The project’s ongoing voyage invites more participants to join in solving the captivating mysteries of galaxies, promising a future of continued revelations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Galactic Discoveries

More about Galactic Discoveries

• GALAXY CRUISE Project
• Subaru Telescope
• Publication of the Astronomical Society of Japan
• National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
• Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC)