BULLETIN
Binary dwarfs found by amateur astronomer
The discovery continues a long tradition of citizen science
Citizen scientist Frank Kiwy has helped find 34 ultracool dwarf binary systems – doubling the number previously known.
Brown dwarfs are too small to be stars but too large to be planets. Their faintness makes them difficult to find, so the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project asked over 100,000 members of the public to search images for signs of them moving against background stars. Enthused by the project, member Kiwy embarked on his own quest, searching through the data to find objects based on their colour. This led to the identification of 2,500 ultracool dwarfs, 34 of which were later found to have low-mass companion stars.
“I love the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 project!” says Kiwy. “Once you master the regular workflow you can dive much deeper into the subject. If you’re a person who is curious and not afraid to learn something new, this might be the right thing for you.” www.zooniverse.org