Black hole finder4.3 - App Store

Welcome to the Black Hole Finder, an exciting citizen science project dedicated to discovering black holes, particularly those formed from the fusion of two neutron stars. You have the unique opportunity to contribute to this cutting-edge research from the comfort of your home, using your phone, tablet, or computer.

Our app brings the cosmos to your fingertips. When two neutron stars merge, they create a powerful event, sending gravitational waves through space. These events are detected by our gravitational wave detectors, which alert us to potential black hole formations. Mergers of this kind not only create black holes but also give birth to rare Earth elements such as Iodine, Gold, and Cerium. All these elements, especially Iodine, play crucial roles in supporting life as we know it.

In addition to gravitational waves, these cosmic collisions emit light signals. The chase is on to detect these signals with our trio of specially designed BlackGEM telescopes located in Chile. The catch is that the detectors only provide a general localization of the event and the light signals are fleeting. Therefore, we need to act quickly to capture these signals before they fade away after a few days or a week at most.

That's where you come in! Using our app, you will sift through real-time images of the sky taken by our BlackGEM telescopes. You will help us spot these light signals, effectively identifying potential new black holes. Not only will you be possibly among the first to set eyes on the light from these celestial events, but with some training, you may also direct telescopes to take additional measurements of intriguing objects.

Your contributions to science won't go unnoticed. Participants who make significant discoveries will be offered co-authorship on scientific publications that result from their findings. We also provide training and guidance to enrich your understanding of the cosmos.

The Black Hole Finder project is not just about making significant scientific contributions. It's about engaging with the wonders of the universe, learning about the intricate processes that drive its dynamics, and having fun while doing it!

So, join us on this thrilling journey of discovery and exploration. Download the Black Hole Finder app now and start your cosmic adventure!

Version History Performance improvements 4.3 Feb 2 Small bug fixes (chat mainly) 4.2 Jan 31 Fixed bug: a non responsive chat was seen when logged out. 4.1 Jan 28 Added chat for registered users.
1. Click the chat icon in the toolbar (appears on home page and can be added to other pages)
2. Chat overlay slides up from bottom
3. Switch between channels using tabs
4. Type message and press Enter or click Send
5. Scroll up to load older messages
6. Click backdrop or X button to close 4 Jan 26 Bug fixes and follow ups get a dedicated report page 3.2 07/03/2025 Bug fixes, news page 3.1 05/27/2025 Moved parts of the functionality to new back end. 3.0 04/30/2025 Bug fixes, performance improvements 2.7 11/13/2024 Bug fixes, housekeeping 2.6 11/08/2024 Bug fixes, support for French 2.5 09/17/2024 Fixes an issue with broken images 2.4 09/12/2024 Small fixes 2.3 09/02/2024 Follow up overview
We wanted to give you something back by showing the resulting image from the follow up you requested. 2.2 08/30/2024 Support for more languages
Bug fixes (sort order)
Scistarter integration support 2.1 08/23/2024 More languages and super user capability to control remote telescopes. How cool. 1.6.0 08/14/2024 Fixes an issue that the entire app turned into a black hole. 1.5.6 04/14/2024 Performance improvements and bug fixes 1.5.5 04/11/2024 Added telescope 'live' cam 1.5.4 03/15/2024 My classifications: new UI with many features
All data on a monthly basis
Added overview page
Machine Learning optimisations
Minor bug fixes and improvements 1.5.3 03/12/2024 Solves a critical bug not letting users classify 1.5.2 01/31/2024 Fixes an issue with many transients not being displayed 1.5 01/26/2024 Small textual corrections 1.4 11/27/2023 Bug fixes, texts 1.3 11/15/2023 Added super user functionality for LCO telescope follow up 1.2 11/01/2023 Prepare for telescope follow up 1.1 11/01/2023