The Rebon Seminar is a regular event organized by the Physics Department, providing a platform for discussions and the sharing of ideas related to research, studies, and phenomena aligned with the Group of Expertise within the UGM Physics. On March 13, 2024, the Rebon Seminar featured a theme on the world of astronomy with the topic “Studying Galaxy with Citizen, Science Project Galaxy Cruise” presented by Dr. Itsna Khoirul Fitriana from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) as the speaker. This seminar was conducted in a hybrid format, taking place at the 7th-floor Auditorium of FMIPA UGM as well as via Zoom Meeting.
The handover of souvenirs from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at UGM, presented by Prof. Dr.Eng. Edi Suharyadi, S.Si., M.Eng to Dr. Itsna Khoirul Fitriana.
The seminar began with a welcoming speech from Prof. Dr.Eng. Edi Suharyadi, S.Si., M.Eng., as the Chair of the Physics Department, followed by a souvenir handover. Dr. Itsna Khoirul Fitriana then commenced her introductory presentation on galaxies, their types, and interactions. The speaker introduced the Galaxy Cruise, an astronomy project in the form of a website aimed at engaging the public directly in astronomical research. The organization of this seminar is crucial as it is hoped to stimulate public interest in natural sciences, particularly astronomy. Seminar participants were also invited to gain a unique experience in understanding and appreciating the beauty of galaxy images produced from observations made by the Subaru telescope (8.2m). Additionally, a demonstration and practical session using the Galaxy Cruise website were conducted midway through the seminar, followed by a Q&A session.
The display of the Galaxy Cruise project website.
“Why does this research need to involve the public, rather than just using AI?” remarked one of the participants during the Q&A session. Dr. Itsna Khoirul Fitriana explained that the Galaxy Cruise Project itself is an interactive form of education for the public through enjoyable gaming. So far, the use of AI, specifically Deep Learning, has been developed but still relies on dim telescope data and is still misclassified (weak feature). Therefore, a new system called ECSI has been developed which involves community classification. Within the ECSI system, AI (Machine Learning) has also been developed but still needs to be validated with visual inspection requiring assistance from the public as a library. This library is currently being constructed through the Galaxy Cruise Project.
A group photo session with both offline and online participants.
The introduction of the Galaxy Cruise Project by NAOJ through this Rebon Seminar is an effort that supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals pillars 4 and 17, which are related to quality education and partnerships to achieve these goals. Participants and the wider community are invited to gain interactive experiences through educational media in the form of the Galaxy Cruise website. Indirectly, the community contributes valuable data for sustainable development and global citizenship and partnerships.
Author: Rafida Salma Rahmawati
Photos: Ahmad Fathan