The "Thousand Star Seekers" project, previously likened to an astronomical "spot the difference" game, invites the public to compare images of the same night sky region taken recently with those from previous nights, aiming to identify new stars or significant changes in brightness that may signal extraordinary cosmic events. The project recently announced its first major discovery in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics—a brightly erupting star, the cataclysmic variable star GOTO0650.

This celestial object underwent an extreme brightening process, increasing in brightness by 2,500 times. The rapid response and diligent efforts of public volunteers enabled its study and classification early in its evolution. Dr. Tom Killestein, co-leader of the project, stated, "The 'Thousand Star Seekers' offers the public a unique opportunity to participate in real-time astrophysical research. Volunteers identified this star within 3.5 hours of the GOTO telescope capturing the images. Without them, this discovery might have been missed." The public's enthusiastic follow-up response was equally significant, with the object flagged for further observation. GOTO0650's brightness allowed amateur astronomers to conduct high-quality observations, forming a key part of the research paper.

Cataclysmic variable stars are compact binary star systems that exhibit dramatic increases in brightness followed by declines. The public's swift response enabled the team to collect a comprehensive dataset, including spectroscopic, X-ray, and ultraviolet measurements. Dr. Lisa Kelsey, another co-leader of the project, noted, "Citizen science is a powerful method for uncovering new and serendipitous discoveries." The discovery of GOTO0650 marks a pinnacle of the volunteers' sustained efforts. As the Thousand Star Seekers project approaches its two-year anniversary, it has provided over 3,500 members of the public with opportunities to discover supernovae and variable stars. Citizen science has proven to be a viable approach to avoiding missed detections of celestial objects. Volunteers from around the world have contributed not only to scientific progress but also experienced personal growth and joy through their involvement.