Citizen scientists uncover rare exploding star
A group of everyday space enthusiasts helped discover GOTO0650, a rare star that suddenly got 2,500 times brighter just days earlier.
This marks the first big win for the Kilonova Seekers project, where volunteers help scan telescope images from Spain and Australia for surprising changes in space.
How the discovery was made
Volunteers noticed GOTO0650 only a few hours after new images came in, letting astronomers quickly identify it and call in powerful space telescopes like Swift and Einstein Probe.
Amateur astronomers also pitched in with extra data while the star was at its brightest, adding valuable details across different wavelengths.
What do we know about GOTO0650?
GOTO0650 is actually two stars: a white dwarf pulling material from its neighbor until things heat up and explode with light.
Thanks to the quick work by citizen scientists, researchers now have a full record of this dramatic event—offering fresh clues about how these wild stellar systems end their lives.