Using data from the NOIRLab (NSC) DR2 Source Catalog, citizen scientist Frank Kiwy has discovered 34 new M-, L-, or T-type dwarfs that move with low-mass stars, or white dwarfs.
Brown dwarfs are dim, relatively cool objects that are between the size of a gas giant planet, such as Jupiter or Saturn, and a star similar to our Sun. Sometimes called failed stars, these objects are too small to sustain reactions of hydrogen fusion in their cores , but they have attributes similar to those of a star as we know it . And, despite their name, brown dwarfs are different colors; many would likely appear magenta or orange-red to the human eye.
failed stars
Scientists have long debated whether these objects are more like stars or very large planets, and the new detections could help solve the problem. Taking into account that they have low mass, low temperature and do not present internal nuclear reactions, they are quite complicated to detect. And this is where citizen science also comes in.
Astronomers with the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project have previously drawn on a worldwide network of more than 100,000 citizen scientists who examined telescope images to identify the subtle motion of brown dwarfs against background stars.
“The archives of modern astronomy contain an immense trove of data and often harbor important discoveries waiting to be noticed,” said Aaron Meisner, who helps lead the project and is an astronomer at the National Optical and Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory. from the National Science Foundation (NOIRLab).
Zooniverse
“The Backyard Worlds project has fostered a diverse community of talented volunteers,” continues Meisner, co-founder of Backyard Worlds. “ 150,000 volunteers from around the world have participated in Backyard Worlds, including a few hundred ‘super users’ carrying out ambitious self-directed research projects.”
By searching the data for objects with the color of brown dwarfs, Kiwy was able to find more than 2,500 potential ultracool dwarfs lurking in the file. In each newly discovered system, the two stars are relatively close to each other. In the closest binary pair, the stars were separated by 170 astronomical units.
“I love the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project,” said Kiwy. “Once you master the normal workflow, you can go much deeper into the subject . ” “If you are a curious person and not afraid to learn something new, this might be the right thing for you .”
Referencia: Frank Kiwy et al, Discovery of 34 Low-mass Comoving Systems Using NOIRLab Source Catalog DR2, The Astronomical Journal (2022). DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ac68e7
