Galaxy Cruise Website (galaxycruise.mtk.nao.ac)
The Department of Physics FMIPA UGM held a seminar titled “Studying Galaxy with Citizen, Science Project Galaxy Cruise” on Wednesday, Mar 13th, 2024, both online and offline at the Auditorium of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, UGM. The speaker for this event was Dr. Itsna Khoirul Fitriana, a researcher from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). The seminar was aimed at expanding knowledge and enhancing public interest in astronomy. Participants of the seminar included not only faculty members, researchers, and students but also junior and senior high school students. Dr. Eddy, the Chair of the Physics Department, opened the event and expressed appreciation for its organization.
“Galaxy Cruise is an astronomy research project involving the public. As researchers, we can obtain data from the public to develop our research, while the public gains knowledge related to astronomy,” said Dr. Itsna.
Dr. Itsna presenting the material about the “Galaxy Cruise” website (Photo: Fathan)
The material presented included an introduction to various types of celestial objects. Subsequently, seminar participants were invited to engage in training sessions as if they were about to embark on a space journey as astronomers, through various tests conducted via the “Galaxy Cruise” website. If participants completed the tests, they received a boarding pass or ticket for exploration into space through the interactive “Galaxy Cruise” website.
“Why do galaxies have different forms of interaction?” asked one participant, who was a high school student.
Dr. Itsna then explained the types of galaxy interaction forms through the interactive “Galaxy Cruise” website.
The output of this research project is an interactive website that can be utilized by the public. Users can register through the website and participate in activities such as training sessions by answering various questions. The involvement of the public, including students, reflects Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4, Quality Education through the Internet for teaching purposes and enhancing skills in technology, information, and communication (ICT). Researchers of Galaxy Cruise can also gain insights into the public’s understanding of celestial objects being researched as data, thus promoting partnership for the purpose of implementing SDG number 17, Partnerships for the Goals.
Group photo with speakers and participants of “Galaxy Cruise” (Photo: Fathan)
Keywords: Galaxy Cruise, astronomy, NAOJ, galaxies
Author: Febriska Noor Fitriana
Photos: Muhammad Fathan
