What is SCOPE?
SCOPE is a Citizen Science project and is mining the data on photographic images of star spectra.What is SCOPE looking for?
The goal of SCOPE is the classification of hundreds of thousands of stars never before classified. The citizen scientist will help with this mountainous effort.How does SCOPE work?
The spectra of stars are made available online where they can be compared to stars with known spectra. This is done through a JAVA interface written by a PARI volunteer.What do I need to do to qualify to participate?
Anyone may access the spectra of hundreds of thousands of stars never looked at before and be the first to classify the stars. You would begin by reading the Science section of this website to learn about stars and their spectra.Before you classify your first star, you will need to practice in the TO TAKE PART section. You are given a number of different types of stars and asked to test your skill in classifying stars.
Once you are satisfied you can do the classifications, then you would proceed to the CLASSIFY section.
How do I sign up?
The first time you click on the CLASSIFY menu item you can sign up. Follow the instructions.What is a star spectrum?
The spectrum of a star is the result of absorption in the outer visible surface of the star. The outer visible surface of a star consists of gases which absorb the continuum of light being emitted from the interior of the star. The resulting spectrum is observed as an aborption spectrum. The observed absorption spectrum depends on the composition of gases and surface temperature of the star.How can I tell one star spectrum from another?
Some stars clearly show the a series of obvious dark lines, where others show a larger number of fainter dark lines. After some practice, the differences become striking.
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