The contribution of ordinary citizens to science is usually rarely appreciated. However, the discovery by an amateur astronomer of an exoplanet completely changed the opinion about the contribution to science that ordinary citizens make.
You don't need to be a professional astronomer to find new worlds orbiting distant stars. A lack of scientific education did not stop amateur astronomer Andrew Gray from making his greatest discovery. An average American was able to discover a new exoplanetary system with at least four orbiting planets. However, it is claimed that Andrew had professional support and technique. Internet users have also been encouraged to join the Exoplanet Explorers website. After a quick guide, they were asked to trawl through data on thousands of stars recently observed in NASA's Kepler Space Telescope.
Andrew Gray checked over 1,000 stars on the website before discovering the exoplanet. However, after a long search, Andrew was still able to find the planet with the help of colleagues. Now the name of Andrew Gray has appeared in scientific publications. His colossal discovery made a major contribution to US astronomy.
Ivanna Kolomiets