European Space Agency Unveils AI Tool that Unmasks Thousands of Cosmic Anomalies
A team of astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) has made a groundbreaking discovery using an innovative AI-powered tool, AnomalyMatch. This cutting-edge technology sifted through nearly 100 million space images in just two and a half days, uncovering over 1,400 anomalous objects that had eluded human experts.
Developed by David O'Ryan and Pablo Gรณmez, the neural network was trained on the Hubble Legacy Archive, which comprises tens of thousands of datasets from the renowned telescope's 35-year history. According to the ESA, even the most skilled scientists struggle to detect cosmic anomalies in such vast quantities, making AnomalyMatch an invaluable asset for maximizing the scientific output of large datasets.
After less than three days of scanning, the AI tool returned a list of likely anomalies, which were then reviewed and confirmed by O'Ryan and Gรณmez. The astonishing result revealed more than 800 previously undocumented objects, including galaxies merging or interacting, gravitational lenses, planet-forming disks, and even "jellyfish galaxies" with clumps of stars that defy explanation.
"This is a fantastic use of AI to maximize the scientific output of the Hubble archive," O'Ryan is quoted as saying. The discovery showcases the potential of AnomalyMatch for uncovering hidden patterns and anomalies in vast datasets, making it an exciting tool for researchers and scientists alike.
A team of astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) has made a groundbreaking discovery using an innovative AI-powered tool, AnomalyMatch. This cutting-edge technology sifted through nearly 100 million space images in just two and a half days, uncovering over 1,400 anomalous objects that had eluded human experts.
Developed by David O'Ryan and Pablo Gรณmez, the neural network was trained on the Hubble Legacy Archive, which comprises tens of thousands of datasets from the renowned telescope's 35-year history. According to the ESA, even the most skilled scientists struggle to detect cosmic anomalies in such vast quantities, making AnomalyMatch an invaluable asset for maximizing the scientific output of large datasets.
After less than three days of scanning, the AI tool returned a list of likely anomalies, which were then reviewed and confirmed by O'Ryan and Gรณmez. The astonishing result revealed more than 800 previously undocumented objects, including galaxies merging or interacting, gravitational lenses, planet-forming disks, and even "jellyfish galaxies" with clumps of stars that defy explanation.
"This is a fantastic use of AI to maximize the scientific output of the Hubble archive," O'Ryan is quoted as saying. The discovery showcases the potential of AnomalyMatch for uncovering hidden patterns and anomalies in vast datasets, making it an exciting tool for researchers and scientists alike.