<p>I guess it depends on what you consider <em>scientifically important</em>, but users at <a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess/" rel="noreferrer">Planet Hunters</a> have helped with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Hunters#Discoveries" rel="noreferrer">discovery of several exoplanets</a> by analyzing data from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(spacecraft)" rel="noreferrer">Kepler Space Telescope</a>, as well as the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIC_8462852" rel="noreferrer">Tabby's star (KIC 8462852)</a> which has led to a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.03622" rel="noreferrer">paper</a> by Tabetha Boyajian co-written by the users who participated in the analysis of the light curve of the star. </p>

<p>The star is currently still the subject of numerous studies and publications.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-14T00:27:08.943Z
2019-02-14T00:27:08.943Z
Cendolt
<p>I am looking for examples where amateur astronomers in these days contributed sigificantly to important scientifically discoveries.</p>

<p>I am aware of one example: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02331-4?utm_source=twt_nnc&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=naturenews&amp;sf182688358=1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Victor Buso</a> from Argentina was lucky enough to observe a Supernova just when it formed, which has led to follow-up observations by large scientific observatories, and in the end resulted in a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25151" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nature article</a> which has Buso as a co-author. </p>

<p>What might some other similar examples be?</p>

<hr>

<p><strong>below:</strong> "Astronomer Victor Buso poses in front of the telescope with which he witnessed the birth of the supernova 2016gkg. (Victor Buso)" From <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/02/21/a-self-taught-astronomer-spotted-something-no-scientist-had-ever-seen/?utm_term=.48aef0106509" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>, borrowed from <a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/25229/7982">Does this amateur observation hold a record even including robotic searches for supernovae?</a>. Click/open for full size.</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/H3fPU.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/H3fPUm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-12T22:09:05.923Z
There should be heaps. Astronomy is considered to be one of the last fields where amateurs can still make important discoveries.
Ingolifs
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T03:51:22.407Z
[14 Space Discoveries By Amateur Astronomers](https://www.rankred.com/space-discoveries-by-amateur-astronomers/),[Great Discoveries by Amateur Astronomers](https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Space/story?id=8221167&page=1), https://www.google.ca/search?q=amateur+astronomer+discovery
Keith McClary
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-02-13T06:51:52.403Z
`+1` I hope you don't mind the edit; feel free to roll back or adjust.
uhoh
<amateur-observing><supernova><history>
Scientifically important discoveries with the help of amateurs
Mario Krenn
# Scientifically important discoveries with the help of amateurs

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-02-12)

I am looking for examples where amateur astronomers in these days contributed sigificantly to important scientifically discoveries.

I am aware of one example: [Victor Buso](https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-02331-4?utm_source=twt_nnc&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=naturenews&sf182688358=1) from Argentina was lucky enough to observe a Supernova just when it formed, which has led to follow-up observations by large scientific observatories, and in the end resulted in a [Nature article](https://www.nature.com/articles/nature25151) which has Buso as a co-author.

What might some other similar examples be?

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**below:** "Astronomer Victor Buso poses in front of the telescope with which he witnessed the birth of the supernova 2016gkg. (Victor Buso)" From [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2018/02/21/a-self-taught-astronomer-spotted-something-no-scientist-had-ever-seen/?utm_term=.48aef0106509), borrowed from [Does this amateur observation hold a record even including robotic searches for supernovae?](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/q/25229/7982). Click/open for full size.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/H3fPUm.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/H3fPU.jpg)

**Tags:** amateur-observing, supernova, history
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There should be heaps. Astronomy is considered to be one of the last fields where amateurs can still make important discoveries.  
> **username_2**: [14 Space Discoveries By Amateur Astronomers](https://www.rankred.com/space-discoveries-by-amateur-astronomers/),[Great Discoveries by Amateur Astronomers](https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Space/story?id=8221167&page=1), https://www.google.ca/search?q=amateur+astronomer+discovery  
> **username_3**: `+1` I hope you don't mind the edit; feel free to roll back or adjust.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-02-14. Score: 7

I guess it depends on what you consider *scientifically important*, but users at [Planet Hunters](https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess/) have helped with the [discovery of several exoplanets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Hunters#Discoveries) by analyzing data from the [Kepler Space Telescope](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler_(spacecraft)), as well as the famous [Tabby's star (KIC 8462852)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIC_8462852) which has led to a [paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.03622) by Tabetha Boyajian co-written by the users who participated in the analysis of the light curve of the star.

The star is currently still the subject of numerous studies and publications.


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