The Eye is Mightier than the Algorithm: Lessons Learned from the Erroneous Classification of ASAS Variables as “Miscellaneous” (Abstract)

Volume 47 number 2 (2019)

Kristine Larsen

Copernican Observatory and Planetarium, Central Connecticut State University, 1615 Stanley St. New Britain, CT 06050; larsen@ccsu.edu

Abstract

(Abstract only) The superior ability of the human eye and brain to detect patterns in data is central to many crowd sourcing and citizen science projects such as Galaxy Zoo and Planet Hunters TESS. This poster summarizes lessons learned in a much smaller scale project, the largely student-driven identification and proper reclassification of selected variable stars that have been erroneously flagged as “miscellaneous” by the algorithms of the ASAS (All Sky Automated Survey). Examples of stars whose light curves allow for trivial classification by the human eye as well as those that require a deeper investigation are discussed.