Astronomers Release Unprecedented Data Set on Celestial Objects that Brighten and Dim

Astronomers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Arizona have released the largest data set ever collected that documents the brightening and dimming of stars and other celestial objects—two hundred million in total.

The night sky is filled with objects like asteroids that dash across the sky and others—like exploding stars and variable stars-that flash, dim, and brighten. Studying such phenomena can help astronomers better understand the evolution of stars, massive black holes in the centers of galaxies, and the structure of the Milky Way. These types of objects were also essential for the recent discovery of dark energy-the mysterious energy that dominates the expansion of the universe—which earned last year’s Nobel Prize.

Using the Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey (CRTS), a project led by Caltech and including CACR staff Andrew Drake and Matthew Graham, the astronomers systematically scanned the heavens for these dynamic objects, producing an unprecedented data set that will allow scientists worldwide to pursue new research.

Read the full Caltech press release here.