the grandma citizen science website on gravitational wave astronomy.
Welcome aboard
When two neutron stars collide, they create one of the most powerful explosions in the universe - a kilonova. These rare events forge heavy elements like gold and platinum and send ripples through space called gravitational waves. With Kilonova Catcher, you can help capture that fleeting light using your own telescope!
Join a worldwide team of amateur and professional astronomers. All you need is a telescope and your curiosity!
By joining Kilonova Catcher, you'll have a front-row seat to some of the universe's most powerful events. Sign up today and we can help you get started!
Have time on a shared telescope? You can join too!
All about Kilonova Catcher
Catch the Light from Cosmic Collisions
Neutron stars are some of the densest objects in the universe, and when they collide they create a kilonova! These brilliant but short-lived bursts of light are so powerful, they also generate gravitational waves. Ripples in the fabric of space itself! These same collisions can produce short gamma-ray bursts, flashes of high-energy radiation lasting only seconds. Kilonova Catcher helps follow up those optical counterparts to gravitational waves! Because we are a trigger-based project, we don't observe constantly; instead, we respond to alerts from professional networks and swing our telescopes into action when these rare cosmic signals are detected.
Credit: R. Hurt - Caltech / JPL
Join with Your Telescope
If you have a telescope (8 inches or larger) or temporary access to one, you can be part of our global network of volunteers. Amateur astronomers just like you capture images of these cosmic explosions and contribute directly to astrophysics research. No experience required. Our members and leaders can help you get started!
Credit: R. Hellot - AITP Observatory in San Pedro
Work Side by Side with Scientists
Kilonova Catcher (KNC) is a citizen science program in partnership with the GRANDMA Collaboration. GRANDMA is an international network of professional telescopes, astronomers, particle physicists and astrophysicists. Together, GRANDMA and KNC respond to alerts from gravitational wave detectors like LIGO, VIRGO and KAGRA. We aim our telescopes, and record the fleeting light of kilonovae (KNe), Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) and other fast transients. As participants of these observations, your images are analyzed by scientists and may appear in published research papers.
Credit: GRANDMA Collaboration
Want to know more?
Learn the Science
Dive deeper into gravitational waves, kilonovae, and multi-messenger astronomy.
Explore ScienceReady to Join the Hunt?
Become part of the global KNC network and help catch the universe's most fleeting moments!
