Mining the UNKNOWN in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Patrick Hall Assistant Professor Dept. of Physics & Astronomy York University

Astronomers and Data Problem: research astronomers have so much data they can’t do all the cool science possible with the data.

Astronomers and Data Problem: research astronomers have so much data they can’t do all the cool science possible with the data. Solution: more research astronomer s!

Astronomers and Data Problem: research astronomers have so much data they can’t do all the cool science possible with the data. Solution: more research astronomer s! Encourage your MP and MPP to support higher education, and astronomy research.

Astronomers and Data Problem: research astronomers have so much data they can’t do all the cool science possible with the data. Solution: more research astronomers! Encourage your MP and MPP to support higher education, and astronomy research. Meanwhile, become a research astronomer yourself...

…using the Internet Find sungrazing comets in SOHO images (click on FAQs for details): Find interstellar dust particles in aerogel collectors returned to Earth from the Stardust mission: Galaxy Zoo:

...using the SDSS (the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) 120-Mpix camera imaging 1/4 of the sky in 5 colors. About 1 in every 2000 detected objects is selected for further study via spectroscopy, either because the object is a bright galaxy or because it has odd colors. 640 spectra obtained simultaneously via optical fibers.

Left: SDSS telescope (with its dome rolled off out of sight) Below: optical fibers (orange) being plugged into a spectroscopic plate (large metal disk with holes)

...using the SDSS (the Sloan Digital Sky Survey) 120-Mpix camera imaging 1/4 of the sky in 5 colors. About 1 in every 2000 detected objects is selected for further study via spectroscopy, either because the object is a bright galaxy or because it has odd colors. 640 spectra obtained simultaneously via optical fibers. Automated software classifies each spectrum as a star, galaxy, quasar, etc. Spectra that can’t be classified are labelled “unknown”.

Online SDSS Research GalaxyZoo.org - inspect galaxy images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) ‣ previous result: statistically equal numbers of spiral galaxies are wound counter- and clock-wise ‣ current goals: verify candidate merging galaxies, identify overlapping galaxies and ring galaxies,... ‣ serendipitous result: Hanny’s Voorwerp

Hanny’s Voorwerp is the false-color blue-purple object in the SDSS cutout image above. Its spectrum shows it is gas so hot and highly ionized that it must have been illuminated by a quasar, either now or in the past.

Online Astronomy Research GalaxyZoo.org - inspect galaxy images from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) ‣ previous result: equal numbers of spiral galaxies are wound counter- and clock-wise ‣ current goals: verify candidate merging galaxies, identify overlapping galaxies and ring galaxies,... ‣ serendipitous result: Hanny’s Voorwerp, a possible “light echo” of an ancient quasar outburst SDSSUNKNOWN - RASC members & invited guests can help identify “unknown” spectra from the SDSS

The SDSSUNKNOWN project Of the 1.2 million+ SDSS spectra, about 1.6% (20,000) are classified as UKNOWN by automated software.

The SDSSUNKNOWN project Of the 1.2 million+ SDSS spectra, about 1.6% (20,000) are classified as UKNOWN by automated software. Visual inspection following simple rules can classify most of those spectra. That is the goal of this project.

The SDSSUNKNOWN project Of the 1.2 million+ SDSS spectra, about 1.6% (20,000) are classified as UKNOWN by automated software. Visual inspection following simple rules can classify most of those spectra. That is the goal of this project. These UNKNOWN objects include: normal objects missed via software bugs/limitations supernovae moving objects (comets & asteroids) uninteresting glitches in the data interesting and unexpected surprises...

Previously unrecognized, old, cool white dwarf only 100 light years from the Sun (discovery paper published this month in The Astronomical Journal)

Rapid optical transient of unknown origin. Images are spaced 72 seconds apart in the order they were taken: orange (no OT), red (faint OT), ultraviolet (bright OT), infrared, and green. The OT increases in brightness by 4 magnitudes (a factor of 40) in 72 seconds. Up to 15 orphan gamma-ray bursts are expected in SDSS....

SDSSUNKNOWN: Science via Google Group To join the SDSSUNKNOWN effort, visit the website

SDSSUNKNOWN: Science via Google Group To join the SDSSUNKNOWN effort, visit the website You’ll need to create a Google groups account (using any address you want) if you don’t have one.

SDSSUNKNOWN: Science via Google Group To join the SDSSUNKNOWN effort, visit the website You’ll need to create a Google groups account (using any address you want) if you don’t have one. Then you can request group membership. You’ll be added within a few days, and can start classifying.

SDSSUNKNOWN: Science via Google Group To join the SDSSUNKNOWN effort, visit the website You’ll need to create a Google groups account (using any address you want) if you don’t have one. Then you can request group membership. You’ll be added within a few days, and can start classifying. Group members can edit the group pages containing classifications of previously unknown objects and post discussion messages with general or specific questions.

Information for Classification: SkyServer Object Explorer For each unknown object, links are provided to SDSS images and spectra via the SkyServer Object Explorer.

Information for Classification: SkyServer Object Explorer For each unknown object, links are provided to SDSS images and spectra via the SkyServer Object Explorer. By applying a set of rules based on the appearance of the image and the spectrum, each object can be classified (though some will remain as “unknown”).

Information for Classification: SkyServer Object Explorer For each unknown object, links are provided to SDSS images and spectra via the SkyServer Object Explorer. By applying a set of rules based on the appearance of the image and the spectrum, each object can be classified (though some will remain as “unknown”). Sample rule: if it looks like a galaxy on the images, it is a galaxy... unless it’s a comet, asteroid, superposition, bright star, spurious object near a bright star, etc.

Information for Classification: SkyServer Object Explorer For each unknown object, links are provided to SDSS images and spectra via the SkyServer Object Explorer. By applying a set of rules based on the appearance of the image and the spectrum, each object can be classified (though some will remain as “unknown”). Group members can enter their classifications of previously unknown objects, as well as post discussion messages with general or specific questions. Together, we’ll classify all objects that can be classified.

SDSSUNKNOWN: Science via Google Group To join the SDSSUNKNOWN effort, visit the website You’ll need to create a Google groups account (using any address you want) if you don’t have one. Then you can request group membership. You’ll be added within a few days. Membership open to RASC members and their guests, but the group is not publicly visible.

Classifying Spectra: Sample Rules If it looks like a galaxy on the images, it’s a galaxy... but beware of comets, asteroids, superpositions, bright stars, spurious objects near bright stars, etc. If it has a featureless blue spectrum, and an X-ray or radio cross-identification, it’s a blazar (a quasar seen face-on, so that emission from a relativistic jet swamps all other emission). If it is pointlike on the SDSS image and has a proper motion of >1 arcsecond per century, it’s a star. If it looks like a little rainbow on the SDSS image, it’s an asteroid.