Adler Research

Featured Research

The Zooniverse is a set of projects that is aimed at engaging the public in making real contributions to scientific research.

Scientists need the help of regular citizens to sort through the vast troves of information that is received by telescopes and other instruments. There is simply too much data for trained scientists to analyze. By releasing the data to regular people for examination, information and trends emerge faster, speeding up the progress of scientific discovery.

Besides the sheer amount of data that needs to be examined, the human brain is a necessary tool in interpreting it. Humans are wired in a way that machines can’t replicate, specifically when it comes to pattern recognition. Also, regular people can find things trained scientists might miss. Trained researchers may actually overlook important information that a regular citizen may catch.

The Zooniverse community has more than 390,000 users, many of which actively contribute to the community forums. ‘Zooites,’ as they are affectionately called, can join groups, discuss objects, ask questions and converse with other users.

There are now eight active Zoos, including Solar Storm Watch, Moon Zoo, Milky Way Project, which allows users to search Spitzer Space Telescope images for bubbles indicating star formation, and Planet Hunters, which uses data from NASA’s Kepler Mission to search for exoplanets.

Learn more about Zooniverse projects

Featured Researcher

Chris Lintott, Ph.D.

Chris Lintott first visited the Adler Planetarium while on a tour of the United States in 2001, while he was studying Natural Sciences at Magdalene College in the University of Cambridge. He then went on to receive a Ph.D. in the astrochemistry of star formation from University College London, before taking up a research position in the University of Oxford. While at Oxford he ran the team responsible for Galaxy Zoo, a project which engaged hundreds of thousands of people in the task of classifying galaxies. At Adler, his work as Citizen Science Project Lead of Citizen Science Initiatives involves expanding the range and depth of opportunities for everyone to contribute to scientific research. He is best known as co-presenter of the BBC's long-running Sky at Night series, and as co-author, with Sir Patrick Moore and Queen guitarist Brian May, Ph.D., of the book "Bang," a history of the Universe.

Research Spaces

Researchers at the Adler work in a variety of spaces and departments within the Adler.

Astronomy Department

The Adler is proud to have a wonderful group of astronomers as part of its staff. Their studies include planetary geology, star formation, gamma-rays, and telescope observing.

The Astronomy Department maintains the Adler’s very own Doane Observatory.

Learn more about the Astronomy Department.

Citizen Science

The Adler partners with the Citizen Science Alliance to promote the science of discovery by involving the public in academic research. The Department of Citizen Science at the Adler works on a collection of citizen science projects within the Zooniverse umbrella.

Learn more about the Citizen Science Department.

Space Visualization Laboratory

The newly added Space Visualization Laboratory has become a great asset to the Adler and its visitors. The researchers working in this space develop visualizations to help scientists and the public understand data they might not otherwise be able to.

Learn more about the Space Visualization Laboratory.

Webster Institute

Within the walls of the Adler, The Webster Institute staff care for, study, and interpret the collections for both the general public and the scholarly community.

Learn more about the Webster Institute.

NASA Partnerships

The Adler is pleased to work with NASA on very exciting projects. Our staff has partnered with them to develop exhibits components, sky shows, and educational materials for various missions.

Learn more about the NASA Partnerships.