Hanny Van Arkel Discovers Cosmic Ghost, Vindicates Amateur Astronomy Via Galaxy Zoo Website

What do you get when you combine the passion for a hobby with a well honed skill at tenacious research? If you answered Hanny van Arkel, Galaxy Zoo, and a cosmic ghost named Hanny's Voorwerp, you are correct! Okay, so you would not have answered this way, but the facts show that a 25 year young school teacher hailing from Heerlen, Netherlands combined her love for astronomy and then used her professional talents for research to make the astronomic community take note.

What Is Galaxy Zoo?

For lack of a better word, Galaxy Zoo is a website that encourages hobbyist astronomers like Hanny van Arkel to submit galactic classifications, review possible merging galaxies, rely on the naked eye - rather than a computer - for judgment calls and then post their findings. It is legitimate, it is scientific, and it is a wonderful way for the star lover with a purpose to take part in watching the skies.

What Is Hanny's Voorwerp, the Cosmic Ghost?

Hanny's Voorwerp, which is Dutch for Hanny's Object, is a cosmic ghost image that Hanny van Arkel noticed near pictures of spiral galaxy IC 2497 she perused. At this time it is uncertain exactly what the Voorwerp really is, but speculation is high that it might be a small galaxy or merely a dust cloud. What makes this cosmic ghost an anomaly is the fact that it features a huge void in its center.

Why Is Hanny's Voorwerp Important?

Aside from the fact that Hanny van Arkel discovered what the BBC calls a "new class of cosmic object," the importance of her discovery is found in the vindication of hobbyists and the scientific organizations that work with them. Hobbyists come from all walks of life, professions, educational backgrounds and ages. There are hobby astronomers, geologists, zoologists, art historians, literary critics, and a whole host of others that dabble in a plethora of fields after their work day is done.

There is a cornucopia of reasons why their choice of employment or education is not reflective of their passion. One thing, however, is similar: the scientific communities and the organizations related to their hobbies generally look down their collective noses at such hobbyists -- until now, at least. CNN quotes physics Professor Bill Keel from the University of Alabama as voluntarily eating humble pie by acknowledging that in the past he spoke derisively about hobby astronomers but has since publically apologized for his attitude.

I must confess that Hanny van Arkel inspires me. I have always been a hobby astronomer myself and at one time in my youth fancied myself to have a career in astrophysics myself. Dismal math grades quickly cured me of this fancy but the love for the subject matter always remained. A Carl Sagan devotee since childhood, I knew my Cassini Division measurements before I could ever grasp the conversion of metric to American measurements, basic Algebra, or other such feats.

Ms. van Arkel has inspired me to sign up with Galaxy Zoo myself and get "back into the game." I may never discover a cosmic ghost or have an object named after me, but dad-gummit, I'll die trying - and have a good time while I'm at it! Thanks to this school teacher from the Netherlands at least one more hobby astronomer will join the ranks of the others. What about you?

Sources:
http://www.galaxyzoo.org/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7543776.stm
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/08/07/space.discovery/