Citizen Scientists Invited to Join Quest for New Worlds

The Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen science project invites the public to join the search for cold worlds nearby the Sun using its newly revamped online interface. The Backyard Worlds re-launch coincides with publication of the project’s latest discovery: an ancient white dwarf star encircled by a mysterious set of dusty rings - as illustrated in this artistically rendered composite image. NOAO scientist Aaron Meisner is a Backyard Worlds co-founder and science team member.