| Authors : | Ananda Hota, Pratik Dabhade, Sravani Vaddi, Ninisha Manaswini, Barenya Dev, Joydeep Das, Binayak Ashis Pati, Apoorva Prakash, Avinash Kumar, Avinash Ck., Preet Agnihotri, Akshat Mishra, Chiranjib Konar, Sabyasachi Pal, Mamta Gulati, C S Stalin, Megha Rajoria, Arundhati Purohit
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| Abstract : | Launched in 2013, #RADatHomeIndia the first Indian citizen science research (CSR) in astronomy ( https://radathomeindia.org/ ). As a nationwide Inter-University CSR-collaboratory our developments are socio-scientific and discoveries are extragalactic. During the pandemic, we co-organised the first Discovery e-Camp with Nehru Planetarium (Delhi) and multiple e-workshops with DST-Rajasthan, IIT-Mandi (w/ IAU-OAD), Thapar Institute-Patiala. As an invited-talk we presented our Collaboratory model in the 3rd Shaw-International Astronomical Union (IAU) meeting and discussed the field with CSR-authorities from the NASA, Zooniverse, Galaxy Cruise and CosmoQuest (see https://astro4edu.org/shaw-iau/sessions/citizen-science/ ). Some of our discoveries were also presented at international conferences #VLAat40 #SKASciCon21 & #SALFVIII. These discoveries have been achieved through direct public participation and collaboration with ~30 institutes like ICTS-TIFR, IoP, HRI, IISERs, IITs, IISc, NISER, UM-DAE CEBS, Vigyan Prasar. Nearly 2350 citizens are learning UV, Optical, IR and radio image analysis of galaxies using RAD@home-RGB-maker web-tool participating in an online group of 4700 members. Averaged over a year, they post ~3 RGB-images and ~16 image/text comments, per day. Their preliminary discoveries are followed up with the GMRT through the GTAC-approved GOOD-RAC project. Discovery contributions that will be reported in ASI-2022, with/without GOOD-RAC results, include Speca-like spiral-host radio galaxies, new giant and episodic radio galaxies, never-seen-before relic evidence of AGN-feedback as new ~100 kpc size radio bubble, large radio filaments, and ~60 kpc size one-sided radio jet interacting with the stellar shell in two merging galaxies. As the collaboratory primarily aims at detecting faint fuzzy relic emission as “smoking gun” evidence of AGN-feedback in multi-telescope heterogeneous data, such discoveries are not only difficult for automated AI/ML based approaches but the process also has huge implication for achieving sustainable development goals and human resource development for future mega-science projects like SKA and TMT. |
