Welcome! This project recently migrated onto Zooniverse’s new architecture. For details, see here.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Planet Hunters NGTS different to Planet Hunters TESS?
The projects are very similar in that they both look for exoplanets using the transit method. However, the two projects use different source of data: Planet Hunters TESS uses data obtained from a space-based satellite, while the NGTS telescopes are based in Chile. You will also notice some differences in how the data is presented. On Planet Hunters TESS the entire lightcurve is displayed and we ask you to mark on any transit-like signals, with the aim of identifying new transiting planets. On Planet Hunters NGTS, however, the lightcurve has been phase folded (known dips have already been aligned) and you are asked to help us determine the shape of the signal, with the aim of verifying whether a known signal is real or not.Even though the two projects are run by two separate science teams, we regularly collaborate on different findings and publications.
What are you asking me to do?
We are asking you to help find sift through the NGTS observations to find potentially new extrasolar planets (exoplanets). You have several ways you can contribute to the project with our Exoplanet Transit Search to help spot potential transiting planets and then three other checks (Odd Even Transit Check, Secondary Eclipse Check, and Target Star Check) where we need your help to help evaluate whether the best planet candidates from the Exoplanet Transit Search might be real. These checks help rule out of false positives that can create signals that look similar to planet transits.
Why is my favorite task not available?
The Odd Even Transit Check, Secondary Eclipse Check, and Target Star Check tasks will not be available all the time. We'll feed light curves to these workflows as the team identifies the best planet transit candidates from the main Exoplanet Transit Search workflow.
Where does the data come from?
The observations come from the Next-Generation Transit Survey (NGTS). You can learn more about the NGTS telescopes on our About page.
Where can I see more examples?
You can find more examples by clicking on the 'NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS TASK?'.
Why do you need people to help? Why can't computers do this?
Computers are part of the story, but currently they identify a lot more possible transit candidates than real transiting planets. A small group within the NGTS team review all the candidate transit events spotted by the computers. We think there might be planets that got missed in this review. We need your help to go through all of the observations flagged by the algorithms to help search for hidden planets not found in the first review.
How do I know if I'm doing this right?
The team does not know where all the planets are within the NGTS observations. That's why we need your help. Go with your best guess. If some more examples would be helpful, you can find more examples by clicking on the 'NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS TASK?'.
I made a mistake, can I go back and edit my classification?
Once you click on the 'Done' or 'Done & Talk' button, your classification has been submitted and stored in the Zooniverse's database where it cannot be edited. Before that point you can edit your submission. Trust your best judgement, and it's okay if you make a mistake every once in awhile. We have multiple volunteers review the same light curves and combine all the classifications together to make a final assessment on each each light curve/transit candidate
Do I have to log in to get credit for my discoveries?
Yes, if you register for a Zooniverse and log in when classifying on our project, the team will be able link your account with any new planet discoveries you contributed to. Every logged in volunteer who contributed to discovering a new exoplanet discovery will be acknowledged in some way.
Why can't you say the transits I spotted are a bonafied planet? What is a planet candidate?
With the NGTS observations alone, we can not be 100% certain that a transit-like feature is produced by an orbiting planet even after the other checks we ask your help with. They help find the best candidates, that we can then use other observing techniques to validate the planet candidate. To go from planet candidate to bonafide planet we usually need to use other observational techniques to measure the planet candidate's mass and confirm the planetary nature of the transiting body. To measure the mass typically radial velocity observations are used, where you measure the wobble of the star due to the slight gravitational tug due of the orbiting body.
I have a question or I found something interesting, who should I talk to?
The best way to reach the team is post your question on the Planet Hunters NGTS Talk discussion tool.