Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*
Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol
Already have an account?
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Daily Circuit Blog
Maddy Mahon

TMI: Help astronomers analyze overload of data

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

During a pre-interview in anticipation of today's show on astronomy, telescopes and big data, our guest Alberto Conti told me that astronomers are currently taking in far more data then they can analyze. In fact, the amount of data we have on our universe is expected to double every year for the foreseeable future.

In order to try and make sense of the massive number of images coming in from Hubble and other telescopes, astronomers are recruiting average citizens to help examine pictures and search for galaxies, stars, planets and other cosmic formations. According to Alberto, this initiative has been wildly successful. People are finding new stars every day and a few years ago, a Dutch school teacher discovered a new galaxy.

So, if you're interested in the universe and in helping the cause of science, you can sign up easily at places like Galaxy Zoo and Hubble's Hidden Treasures and do your part.

Happy hunting!

--Madelyn Mahon, assistant producer