A 17-year-old high school student has made a groundbreaking discovery in astronomy by using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze vast datasets from the NEOWISE telescope. Matthew Pass’s algorithm detected over 1.5 million previously unknown cosmic objects, including asteroids and variable stars.
Pass created the AI-powered algorithm while studying machine learning in his high school courses. The technique allowed him to identify faint fluctuations in brightness that had gone unnoticed by previous methods. This achievement promises to advance our understanding of the cosmos and demonstrates the power of AI in data analysis.
The research was published in The Astronomical Journal and has drawn interest from professional astronomers. Pass plans to release a complete catalog of variable objects discovered through his method in 2025, along with his mentor Dr. Dave Kirkpatrick from Caltech. The algorithm’s potential applications extend beyond astronomy, including analyzing stock market trends or climate data.
Source: https://caliber.az/en/post/teen-discovers-1-5-million-new-cosmic-objects-in-groundbreaking-ai-study