Amateurs discover pulsar with Einstein @ home software and become stars themselves

Two people in Iowa and one in Germany, working at home, in their spare time, have discovered a special kind of star called a pulsar with data provided to them through the Einstein @ Home astronomy program, run jointly by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the Max Planck Institute, according to reporting on August 13, 2010. Chris and Helen Colvin, of Ames Iowa, and Daniel Gebhardt, of Germany, were some of nearly 250,000 volunteers, who downloaded special software (see link above) that runs when one's computer is idle and analyzes astronomical data from the world's largest radio-telescope at the Aricebo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

This is the same telescope featured in Carl Sagan's blockbuster book and movie Contact. However, this program proves that one does not need to be Jodie Foster in order to make breakthrough astronomical discoveries.

This new approach of using distributed computing and armies of volunteers to analyze the data, instead appears to be a more realistic way to produce results. With participants in close to 200 countries around the world, the program obtains the computing power of a super-computer for free, and lots of eyeballs to scrutinize the data.

The result, in this case, was the discovery of a fairly interesting pulsar, or more accurately a neutron star, about 17 thousand light years from Earth in the Vulpecula constellation. This pulsar is scientifically interesting because many pulsars have a companion and orbit in a binary system. However, this one appears to have no companion, and therefore is more rare.

The real significance of this, however, is that it demonstrates the power of amateur involvement in projects like this and may point the way forward for future astronomical projects.

People who are interested amateur astronomy should check out local organizations, many of which have existed for decades, such as The Albuquerque Astronomical Society, for example, or internet based sites such as Einstein@home or SETI @ home. Many smaller groups have knowledgeable and talented member, and thanks to the Internet and the low price of computers and modern electronic equipment, have capabilities that rival what was available only to professionals in decades past.