Developing opportunities for in-depth citizen science using robotic telescopes

正如银河动物园项目（zoo1.galaxyzoo.org）的成功所表明的那样，天文学是公民科学的理想学科，它结合了吸引人们的研究问题和可供探索的大量数据。然而，这类项目依赖于数量庞大的人员，他们都贡献了相对较少的一部分，对数据收集和最终解释所依据的科学过程细节的了解有限。我们想要改变这一点，并提供公民科学项目，让“公民”参与到科学的细节中来，并学习一些数据收集和分析技能，这些技能使科学研究如此有益。要做到这一点，机器人望远镜是关键。这些望远镜是自主运行的，为许多天文学家夜复一夜地收集时间紧迫的观测数据。利用英国运行的三个主要机器人望远镜项目的特权访问权（包括世界上最大的机器人望远镜- telescope.livjm.ac.uk和www.faulkes-telescope.com），我们将创建工具和示范项目，使项目参与者不仅可以分析存档数据，还可以处理几个小时前的数据，甚至可以使用这些高科技仪器进行观测。这将是一种新型的公民科学——公民不仅支持科学，而且成为科学家。

As the success of the Galaxy Zoo project (zoo1.galaxyzoo.org) has shown, astronomy is an ideal subject for citizen science, combining research questions that fascinate people and a vast wealth of data to be explored. However, such projects rely on very large numbers of people all contributing a relatively small amount, with limited access to the details of the scientific process that underlies the data gathering and final interpretation. We want to change that, and offer citizen science projects where the "citizens" get involved in the details of the science, and learn some of the data gathering and analysis skills that make scientific research so rewarding.To do this Robotic Telescopes are key. These telescopes run autonomously and gather time-critical observations for many astronomers night after night. Using privileged access to the three main UK-run robotic telescopes projects (including the largest robotic telescopes in the world - telescope.livjm.ac.uk and www.faulkes-telescope.com), we will create tools and exemplar projects that will allow project participants to not only analyse archived data, but work on data taken just hours before, or perhaps even take observations using these high-tech instruments for themselves.This will be a new style of Citizen Science - one where the citizens do not just support the science, but become the scientists.