Citizen-Scientists Power the Search for Humanity’s Next Home

Volunteer programs such as the DIY Exoplanet Search project encourage everyday people to help discover new solar systems.
Citizen-Scientists Power the Search for Humanity’s Next Home
A telescope operator at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Amado, Ariz., monitors information on multiple computer screens on Aug. 22, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times
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AMADO, Ariz.—As the stars come out over the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, high in southern Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains, new worlds are waiting to be discovered.

At the observatory, scientists seek out and study black holes, faraway galaxies, strong bursts of gamma rays, planets that orbit other stars, and many other things.