Citizen scientists make cosmic discoveries with a global telescope network

A global network of over 15,000 Wi-Fi-enabled telescopes, created by French company Unistellar, allows amateur astronomers to contribute to scientific discoveries across six continents. The network has aided in identifying hundreds of asteroids, comets, and exoplanets by detecting occultations. It has improved asteroid orbit predictions, supported exoplanet research, and observed major space missions. Despite the telescopes' cost of up to $4,000, nonprofits are donating them to universities and astronomy clubs globally to increase participation in space science.