LCO Helps Fund Mystery Star Research
The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) is proud to announce a $10,000 donation towards the scientific research efforts of Dr. Tabetha Boyajian, a postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University, and her team in observing the currently inexplicable behavior of a star in our galaxy. The discovery of a peculiar dipping in the brightness around KIC 8462852, more commonly referred to as "Tabby's Star", was observed by Dr. Boyajian's team late last year using data from the Kepler Space Telescope. The irregular intervals of the dipping indicate that some unknown object(s) are obstructing the star's light. "Right now, astronomers have no idea what is going on" says Dr. Bradley Schaefer, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at LSU, and soon to be colleague of Dr. Boyajian. "The only way to advance is to catch the star dipping again, when we are prepared to immediately throw everything at it. By immediately, I mean within a few hours of the start of the perhaps-one-day-long dip. To do this, we need continuous monitoring, LCOGT can provide that effectively, and that needs funding from a Kickstarter Campaign."
From its inception, LCOGT has been committed to using astronomy as a tool for public engagement, research and education. The donation to the Kickstarter campaign, which closes on Friday, June 17th at 5:59 AM PDT, will buy her team usage time on the LCOGT network to progress their efforts in monitoring the curious star. The LCOGT network has the unique capability of providing continuous monitoring, which is essential in detecting a recurrence due to the star's unpredictable nature. What further sets LCOGT apart from other observatories is that new projects can be started on the LCOGT network at any time, and access is not limited to the competitive review process that other observatories operate on exclusively. LCOGT is excited to collaborate with Dr. Boyajian's team in this revolutionary scientific endeavor. LCOGT will be hosting Dr. Boyajian in November for a public talk about her research.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/608159144/the-most-mysterious-star-in-the-galaxy
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/the-most-mysterious-star-in-the-galaxy/
More information:
Lorna Boyd
Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network
Goleta, California, USA
+1 (805) 880-1625
lboyd@lcogt.net
About LCOGT:
Founded in 2005, LCOGT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation created in the spirit of scientific exploration and discovery. LCOGT is at the forefront of astronomical research by providing real-time viewing through a worldwide network of telescopes that function in concert as one instrument, thereby offering a consistently observable sky – a never ending night giving scientists, educators, and the general public the unique ability to view and investigate astronomical phenomena quickly and take immediate observations, or monitor a star for days on end to watch it pulsate and change. This powerful network currently contains 18 deployed telescopes at 6 sites – Chile, Australia, South Africa, Maui, HI, Texas, and Tenerife. This network will grow to 21 telescopes at 8 sites when progress is completed in Israel and China in the future. These collaborator-sites fulfill both LCOGT’s scientific goal to revolutionize time domain astronomy research; and it’s educational goal to make astronomy accessible to everyone and inspire people of all ages to become involved in the excitement of scientific discovery.
Provided by Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network
