Crowdsourcing the Sky with the NOIRLab Source Catalog

NOIRLab的全天源目录（NSC）是一个包含了几乎所有数据的目录，这些数据是由天文学家多年来拍摄的，保存在NOIRLab的图像档案中。这些数据包括四分之三天空的信息，可用于创新的大数据技术的探索，这也将对其他大型调查有用，例如鲁宾天文台获得的调查。这个项目将使用这个数据库来解决关于小行星和脉动恒星的两个重要科学问题。在我们的太阳系中有许多小行星，其中一些就在附近，可能会影响地球。在过去的几十年里，天文学家一直试图对其中的大多数进行编目。国家安全委员会可以帮助这项工作，因为它能够探测到比目前大多数搜索更微弱的小行星，并且覆盖了以前没有探索过的天空部分。我们银河系的大规模结构可以通过寻找某些类型的脉动恒星来绘制和探索，这些恒星的距离可以从以前的研究中精确地确定出来。该项目包括一项涉及数万名公民科学家的计划，以协助该项目的各个方面，特别是寻找在天空中改变位置的恒星。需要新技术从现有数据集和未来的大数据中提取重要的科学信息和见解，例如鲁宾天文台的遗留时空调查（LSST）。全天NOIRLab源目录（NSC）是NOIRLab图像存档中几乎所有公共数据的目录。NSC覆盖了四分之三的天空，比以前的项目深入得多，包括以前从未编目过的领域的数据。该项目旨在探索NSC开发大数据技术，重点关注两个科学案例。第一个是寻找高固有运动物体，特别是可能影响地球的近地天体。现代聚类算法，如光谱聚类和DBSCAN将用于处理680亿次测量，并提供附近物体的普查。第二个科学调查将是寻找恒星的变异性。NSC的时间序列特性将允许搜索亮度随时间变化的物体。这包括变星，它们是银河系结构的良好示踪剂。将利用非参数周期估计技术和新的变星模板来实现NSC中所有变量的自动和鲁棒识别和分类。一项广泛的公民科学家计划正在计划中，以协助探测恒星的固有运动。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The all-sky NOIRLab Source Catalog (NSC) is a catalog of nearly all the data, taken by astronomers over many years that is resident in NOIRLab’s image archive. This data includes information on three quarters of the sky and is available for exploration with innovative big data techniques that will also be useful for other large surveys such as that to be obtained with the Rubin Observatory. This project will use the database to address two important science questions regarding asteroids and pulsating stars. There are many asteroids in our solar system, some of which are nearby and could potentially impact the earth. Astronomers have been trying to catalog most of them over the last couple of decades. The NSC can help with this effort as it is able to detect fainter asteroids than most current searches and covers parts of the sky not previously explored. Large scale structures in our Milky Way galaxy can be mapped and explored by finding certain types of pulsating stars for which distances can be accurately determined from previous studies. The project includes a plan to involve tens of thousands of citizen scientists to assist in various aspects of the project notably to find stars that have change position on the sky.New techniques are needed to extract important scientific information and insights from both existing data sets and future large data such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Rubin Observatory. The all-sky NOIRLab Source Catalog (NSC) is a catalog of nearly all public data in NOIRLab’s image archive. The NSC covers three quarters of the sky going substantially deeper than previous projects and includes data in areas never before cataloged. The project looks to explore the NSC to develop big data techniques focused on two science cases. The first of these is to search for high proper motion objects, especially Near-Earth Objects that could potentially impact the earth. Modern clustering algorithms such as Spectral Clustering and DBSCAN will be utilized to process the 68 billion measurements and provide a census of nearby objects. The second science investigation will be on searching for stellar variability. The time-series nature of the NSC will permit a search for objects that vary in brightness over time. This includes variable stars that are good tracers of the structure of the Milky Way. Non-parametric period estimation techniques and new variable star templates will be utilized to enable automatic and robust identification and classification of all variables in the NSC. An extensive citizen scientist program is planned for assistance in the detection of proper motions of stars.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.