Ep 14. Hubble's Galaxy Zoo

As the fourteenth episode in the first season of A Visual Guide to the Universe, Hubble's Galaxy Zoo offers breathtaking views of the universe and insights into the observations made by space telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope. This episode is dedicated to showcasing the results of an international citizen science project, which aimed to classify galaxy images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

The episode begins by highlighting the importance of galaxies in understanding the universe. The host explains that galaxies are huge groups of stars, dust, and gas that are held together by gravity. There are various classifications of galaxies according to their shapes, such as spiral, elliptical, barreled, and irregular. By studying the structures and characteristics of galaxies, astronomers can learn about their formation, evolution, and contribute to answering the fundamental questions of the universe.

The episode then moves on to feature the Hubble's Galaxy Zoo project, which was launched in 2007 by a team of astronomers from the University of Oxford and the Zooniverse organization. The project aimed to enlist the help of citizen scientists worldwide to classify galaxy images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The images were uploaded to the Hubble website and made publicly available for anyone to access and help identify and classify.

The host interviews some of the project's scientists and volunteers to explain how the project worked and its significance. Citizen scientists from different backgrounds and expertise were involved, ranging from school kids to professional astronomers. By pooling together the collective observations of thousands of citizen scientists, the project helped classify galaxies for the first time in the universe's history.

The Hubble's Galaxy Zoo project's impact was far more significant than just classifying galaxies. It empowered citizen scientists and democratized the scientific process, allowing the public to participate directly in scientific research. The impact of the project on professional science cannot be overstated, with valuable observations being made by the community's collective efforts.

The episode then showcases some of the most incredible images of galaxies that have been classified through the Hubble's Galaxy Zoo project. The host explains their characteristics, unique features, and structures and shares some of the most interesting ideas for the new discoveries made during citizen science observations.

The host also shows some of the new observations made by the Hubble Space Telescope, which were made possible because of the Hubble's Galaxy Zoo project, some of which are groundbreaking for the understanding of galaxies. These discoveries include images of a galaxy merger in the making, a galaxy with a massive supermassive black hole, the Cosmic Horseshoe, and more.

The episode continues with some fascinating insights into galaxy morphology and the variables that contribute to the variation in galaxy classification. The host explains how many variables such as dark matter, dark energy, and galaxy collisions can affect galaxy structures and classifications.

The episode then moves on to a discussion of future possibilities of citizen science and the promise of artificial intelligence to improve and automate citizen science projects further. While highlighting the importance of human observations, the host touches on the crucial aspects of AI's abilities to identify patterns and classify with accuracy.

In conclusion, Hubble's galaxy zoo is a remarkable episode of A Visual Guide to the Universe that showcases the extraordinary observations made during the galaxy zoo project that has transformed the understanding of galaxies and the universe. It is worth noting the potential your average citizen has in observing the universe and contributing significantly to improving our understanding of the cosmos.